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Goodrich History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Goodrich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The lineage of the name Goodrich begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the region of Goodrich or Gotheridge in the county of Hereford. The surname Goodrich may also derive from the patronymic name the son of Godrich which was composed of the elements God which referred to someone good and Ric which meant power. The surname may also have derived from the Old English cud, meaning "famous," with the aforementioned "ric." 1

In ancient times, the name was also a personal name as in Godric, the abbot of Winchcombe and Godric, the sheriff of Berkshire. Both were listed as freemen shortly after the Norman Conquest. 2

Godric (1065?-1170), the founder of Finchale, "was born ‘in villula Hanapol,’ or, according to another account, at Walpole in Norfolk. His father's name was Ailward, his mother's Ædwin; and Godric, their first-born son, was called after his godfather. After a boyhood spent at home, Godric began to peddle small wares in the neighbouring shires. Later, as his gains increased, he took to frequenting castles and the town and city markets. A narrow escape from drowning while he was attempting to capture a stranded ‘dolphin’ or porpoise near the mouth of the Welland (c. 1082) seems to have given a serious turn to his thoughts." 3

Early Origins of the Goodrich family

The surname Goodrich was first found in various locations throughout ancient Britain. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Walter Goderiche in Bedfordshire; William Godriche in Oxfordshire; Stephen Godrich in Suffolk; and Ambrosius filius Godrige in Cambridgeshire. 4

Other early record include Gaufridus filius Godrici who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Berkshire in 1207; Ralph Godric' who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Worcestershire in 1199; Hugo Godriche in Suffolk in 1221; John Godryk listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1313; James Goodrich in Colchester in 1341; William Godright in 1363; Albreda Goderik in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379; and Simon Goderich in 1388. 5

Further to the north in Scotland, "Dougal fiz Gothrik of the county of Dunfres who rendered homage in 1296 is probably Dougal Gotherykessone of the county of Wyggetone, and Dugall, son of Gotrich, juror on an inquest at Berwick in the same year." 2

Benjamin Franklin Goodrich (1841-1888), the American industrialist in the rubber industry and founder of B.F. Goodrich Company claimed descent from Ensign William Goodrich (1621-1676), from Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk who emigrated to America. The family had along history at Bury Saint Edmunds.

Early History of the Goodrich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goodrich research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1199, 1221, 1279, 1341, 1554, 1562, 1621, 1642, 1659, 1666, 1673, 1682 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Goodrich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goodrich Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Goodrich has undergone many spelling variations, including Goodrich, Gooderidge, Goodrick, Goodricke, Goodridge, Goderich, Godriche, Godric, Godrige, Goderidge, Goodreed, Goodreid, Gutteridge, Guteridge, Guttridge, Gutridge and many more.

Early Notables of the Goodrich family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Henry Goodrich of Ribstone Hall, Envoy Extraordinary to the King of Spain in 1682; Francis Goodricke (1621-1673), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and...
Richard Goodrich (d. 1562), was Ecclesiastical Commissioner, a native of Yorkshire, was nephew of Thomas Goodrich, bishop of Ely
Thomas Goodrich or Goodricke (d. 1554), was Bishop of Ely and Lord High Chancellor of England, a younger son of Edward Goodrich of East Kirkby, Lincolnshire,

Goodrich Ranking

In the United States, the name Goodrich is the 1,765^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 6

Goodrich migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Goodrich were among those contributors:

Goodrich Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Goodrich, who settled in New England in 1630
Thomas Goodrich, who settled in Virginia in 1653

Goodrich Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A. Goodrich, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1893

Goodrich Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Aimy P Goodrich, who landed in America, in 1903
Abbie Goodrich, who immigrated to America, in 1909
Andrew Goodrich, aged 24, who settled in America from London, England, in 1910
Anne Goodrich, aged 6, who landed in America, in 1911
Alfred Goodrich, aged 33, who landed in America from London, England, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Goodrich migration to Australia +

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

Goodrich Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Eleanor Goodrich, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
William Goodrich, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 8
Mr. Gideon Goodrich, (b. 1796), aged 44, American milliner who was convicted in Kingston, Ontario, Canada for life for unlawful invasion, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 28th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), captured at the battle of Windmill in 1838 9
J. Goodrich, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Athenian" in 1849 10
Samuel Goodrich, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"

Goodrich 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:

Goodrich Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W. W. Goodrich, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Goodrich (post 1700) +

Benjamin Franklin Goodrich (1841-1888), American industrialist in the rubber industry, founder of the Goodrich Corporation
James Tait Goodrich (1946-2020), American neurosurgeon and director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Montefiore Health System; he died from COVID-19
Deborah Goodrich (b. 1958), American actress, known for her roles in All My Children (1970), April Fool's Day (1986) and Just One of the Guys (1985)
Brigadier-General Donald Reuben Goodrich (1894-1945), American Commanding Officer of the VIII Air Force Service Command (1944-1945) 12
Frances Goodrich (1890-1984), American dramatist and screenwriter
Elizur Goodrich (1761-1849), American lawyer, Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut
Chauncey Allen Goodrich (1790-1860), American clergyman, educator and lexicographer
Caspar Frederick Goodrich (1847-1925), American admiral
Gail Goodrich (b. 1943), Hall of Fame, professional (NBA) basketball player
Leland Matthew Goodrich (1899-1990), American political scientist
... (Another 65 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ATHENIAN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Athenian.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Donald Goodrich. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Goodrich/Donald_Reuben/USA.html