Goodrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the name Goodrick date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the region of Goodrich or Gotheridge in the county of Hereford. The surname Goodrick 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 Goodrick family

The surname Goodrick 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 Goodrick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goodrick 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 Goodrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goodrick Spelling Variations

Goodrick has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Goodrick have been found, including Goodrich, Gooderidge, Goodrick, Goodricke, Goodridge, Goderich, Godriche, Godric, Godrige, Goderidge, Goodreed, Goodreid, Gutteridge, Guteridge, Guttridge, Gutridge and many more.

Early Notables of the Goodrick 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...
Sir Henry Goodricke (1642-1705), was an English diplomatist, eldest son of Sir John Goodricke (created Baronet by Charles I, for whom he suffered severely in estate during the civil wars), by his firs...
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,

Goodrick migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Goodricks to arrive on North American shores:

Goodrick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alfred Goodrick, who settled in Philadelphia in 1840
Annie Goodrick, aged 22, who settled in America from Southampton, in 1897
Gertrude Goodrick, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Manchester, in 1898

Goodrick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Isabella Goodrick, aged 26, who immigrated to America, in 1908
Frederick Elizur Goodrick, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
Gertrude Goodrick, aged 23, who settled in America, in 1911
Margaret Goodrick, aged 32, who landed in America from London, England, in 1915
Walter Goodrick, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States from Leeds, England, in 1915
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Goodrick migration to Australia +

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

Goodrick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Abraham Goodrick, English convict who was convicted in Birmingham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Goodrick (post 1700) +

Mick Goodrick (1945-2022), American jazz guitarist who in the early 1970s worked with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny
Garney Goodrick (1895-1929), Australian sportsman, first-class cricketer for Tasmania and Australia
Alan "Gimpo" Goodrick, British film director

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden