Godfrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The history of the name Godfrey begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Godfrey. Baptismal names were a form of patronymic surnames, and came from either the religious or vernacular given name traditions. In this case, the patronym was adopted from the personal name of the bearers father.

Early Origins of the Godfrey family

The surname Godfrey was first found in Kent. One of the first records of the name was Henricus filius Godefrid who was listed in the Pipe Rolls taken during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189.) 1

It is generally believed that he was related to William Godefridus of Normandy listed in a census there taken 1180-1198. 2

However, the Godfrey variant had many early references including Godfrey the Bearded (c.?997-1069); and his son, Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine (died 1706), known as the Hunchback who was assassinated in Vlaardingen; Godfrey of Bouillon (c. 1060-1100), a medieval Frankish knight, one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Godfrey of Cambrai, the prior of Winchester Abbey from 1082 until his death in 1107; and Godfrey (died 1088), medieval Bishop of Chichester.

"In the churchyard [of Woodford, Essex] is a splendid Corinthian column of marble, about forty feet in height, erected to the memory of the Godfrey family, which flourished many years in Kent; also a tomb with a column entirely covered with ivy, of picturesque appearance; and a remarkably fine old yew-tree." 3

Early History of the Godfrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Godfrey research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1622, 1631, 1641, 1642, 1648, 1666, 1678, 1714, 1790, 1797, 1813, 1831, 1837, 1839, 1856, 1859, 1863, 1868, 1872 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Godfrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Godfrey Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Godfrey has been recorded under many different variations, including Godfrey, Godfry, Godfrie, Godfree, Godfery, Godkin and many more.

Early Notables of the Godfrey family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Godfrey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Godfrey is the 1,101st most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Godfrey is ranked the 663rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,884 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Godfrey is the 600th popular surname with an estimated 1,198 people with that name. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Godfrey as 479th with 13,424 people. 7

Migration of the Godfrey family to Ireland

Some of the Godfrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 120 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Godfrey migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Godfrey or a variant listed above:

Godfrey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Godfrey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Godfrey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Godfrey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Godfrey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Godfrey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Godfrey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Godfrey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Godfrey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Godfrey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Godfrey migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16
Godfrey Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Godfrey (post 1700) +


The Godfrey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Deus et libertas
Motto Translation: God and liberty.
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