Show ContentsGoddyear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Goddyear came to England with the ancestors of the Goddyear family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the given names Gudhir, or Gudvar, which were popular medieval names of Germanic origin. 1

Another source notes that the name could have originated from the Middle English goodyeare, goodier, goodere, goodye(e)re meaning 'good year', as in "an expletive used in questions, 'What the good year?' Possibly elliptic for 'as I hope to have a good year' " 2

The Domesday Book of 1086 has the first record of the family as Godere and Goderus (Latin). 3

Early Origins of the Goddyear family

The surname Goddyear was first found in Huntingdonshire, where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Cest' Godyer. 4

"Goodyear, which is now a Lincolnshire name, was represented 600 years ago by Godyer in the adjacent county of Huntingdonshire." 5

John Godeyer, was listed in the Close Rolls, 10 Richard II (during the tenth year of Richard II's reign.)

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus Goddeyere; Simon Godeycre, smyth; and Willelmus Godcyere as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) the American inventor and patent holder of vulcanized rubber was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father was a descendant of Stephen Goodyear (c. 1598-1658) born in London, who emigrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration.

Early History of the Goddyear family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goddyear research. Another 223 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1295, 1296, 1301, 1327, 1456, 1467, 1500, 1513, 1566, 1592, 1600, 1613, 1626, 1627, 1636, 1664, 1682, 1687, 1705, 1708, 1718, 1719 and 1741 are included under the topic Early Goddyear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goddyear Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Goodyear, Goodier and others.

Early Notables of the Goddyear family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Goodyer (1592-1664), a 17th century botanist who was known as "the ablest Herbalist now living in England." Samuel Goodere (1687-1741), was an English captain in the navy, the third and youngest son of Sir Edward Goodere, bart., of Burhope in Herefordshire, by his wife, daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Dineley, bart., of Charleton in Worcestershire, and on the mother's side granddaughter of Lewis Watson, first lord Rockingham. The eldest son having been killed in a duel, the second son, John Dineley, who had been brought up at sea in the merchant service...
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Goddyear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Goddyear family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Goddyear name or one of its variants: Stephen Goodyear, a London merchant, who landed in New Haven in 1638. In 1641 he was appointed Deputy Governor of Connecticut. A. and W.B. Goodyear settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1850 and 1852 respectively.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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