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Godley Family History

Godley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name found mainly in Yorkshire and Surrey from Godly in Rishworth (Yorkshire) or Godley Bridge in Surrey, which was the home of Geoffrey de Godelegh in 1228 and William de Godelegh in 133. However, the place in Surrey may have been named after this family, as was Godley's Green in Sussex.

Godley was the name of a hundred in Surrey, but it was not a settlement, and the Surrey and Sussex families may have originated outside the county from Godley in Cheshire, for example, or from Goodleigh in Uffculme (Devon), both of which are known to have given rise to surnames.

These are all named from the Old English byname Gōda, meaning ‘good’ + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Godley family from?

You can see how Godley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Godley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Godley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 272 Godley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Godley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Godley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Godley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Godley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Godley. 11% of Godley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Godley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Godley were Retired and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Godley | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    11%
  • Bricklayer
    11%
  • Retired
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Godley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Godley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Godley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Godley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Godley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Godley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Godley. For the veterans among your Godley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Godley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Godley family history

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What is the average Godley lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Godley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Godley in 1945 was 57, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Godley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Godley ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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