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Goodall Family History

Goodall Surname Meaning

English (mainly Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire): metonymic occupational name from Middle English god(e) ‘good’ + ale ‘ale’; perhaps denoting an innkeeper or tan ale taster.

An ale taster was a manorial or borough court official appointed to regulate the quality of ale sold by inns and alewives, especially with the duty of preventing the sale of sour or watered-down ale.

Alternatively, it may be a habitational name from Gowdall near Snaith in Yorkshire.

This place was named in Old English with golde ‘marigold’ + halh ‘nook, recess’.

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


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Where is the Goodall family from?

You can see how Goodall families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goodall family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Goodall families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,746 Goodall families living in Yorkshire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Goodall's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Goodall families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goodall 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 Goodall 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 Goodall. 7% of Goodall men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Goodall women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goodall were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Goodall | 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
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Gardener
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Goodall family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 171,000 census records available for the last name Goodall. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goodall census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Goodall

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Goodall. 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 Goodall immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Goodall. For the veterans among your Goodall ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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