Goodchild History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

England

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Goodchild is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who was referred to as the good child. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Goodchild was originally from the Old English word Godchild and referred to a person who was good person and well liked. The surname was also used to refer to the godchild of an important member of the community.

Early Origins of the Goodchild family

The surname Goodchild was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Goodchild family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goodchild research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goodchild History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goodchild Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Goodchild were recorded, including Goodchild, Goodchilde and others.

Early Notables of the Goodchild family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Goodchild of Rotherby Manor

Goodchild migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Goodchild family emigrate to North America:

Goodchild Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Goodchild, who landed in Virginia in 1622 1
Richard Goodchild who settled in Virginia in 1623 with his wife and daughter
Robert Goodchild, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 1

Goodchild Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Goodchild, who settled in New England in 1715
Elizabeth and Hester Goodchild, who settled in Virginia in 1721
Francis Goodchild, who arrived in Virginia in 1727 1

Goodchild Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Goodchild, who landed in New York in 1827 1
William Goodchild, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 1
James and Robert Goodchild, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860

Goodchild migration to Australia +

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

Goodchild Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Catherine Goodchild, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2
Rebecca Goodchild, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1850 3

Goodchild 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:

Goodchild Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Goodchild, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merchantman' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1855 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Goodchild (post 1700) +

Michael Frank Goodchild (b. 1944), British-American geographer, recipient of the Royal Geographical Society's Founder's Medal (2003)
Tim Goodchild, English three-time Laurence Olivier Award winning set and costume designer
Ronald Cedric Osbourne "Ronnie" Goodchild (1910-1998), English prelate, Bishop of Kensington (1964–1980)
Peter Goodchild CChem FRSC (b. 1939), former BBC television editor and producer of the popular 1980s BBC science series Q.E.D
Gary Goodchild (b. 1958), English former footballer who played from 1974 to 1985 and managed Byrne FK (1993-1994)
John Charles Goodchild (1898-1980), English-born, Australian painter and art educator in South Australia
Chloe Goodchild, English musician, performer and recording artist, founder of The Naked Voice
Johnny Goodchild (b. 1939), English professional footballer from Sherburn Hill, County Durham; he played from 1957 to 1968
Andrew James "Jim" Goodchild (1892-1950), English football goalkeeper from Southampton who played from 1909 to 1929
David John Goodchild (b. 1976), former English cricketer for the Middlesex Cricket Board (1999-2000) and Middlesex (1996-1999)
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Goodchild 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: Vincit omnia veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.