Goodell
An English surname that likely began as a diminutive form of Good, meaning “good” or “the good one.”
The #7,240 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,017 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Goodell is most likely a surname built from the English word good, with the -ell ending functioning as a diminutive or pet-form suffix in older naming patterns. In that sense, it would originally have meant something like “little Good,” “dear Good,” or simply “the good one.” Because the surviving excerpts do not give a full etymology, this remains a cautious, pattern-based interpretation rather than a firmly documented one.
History
The name is found in English-speaking records and later appears in North America, where it has remained relatively uncommon. The excerpted 19th-century material lists Goodell among related surnames such as Good, Goode, and Goodenough, which supports its treatment as part of the wider Good-name family. Modern bearers are especially associated with the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In the 2010 U.S. Census, Goodell ranked 7,240th, with about 4,607 bearers.
From the historical record
“Glynn ; Gloan, Glueter, Gobbett, Gockeritz, Go- DET, Godillot, Goell, Goepper, Goget, Gogin, Gol- BEY, Goldsbury, Goldie, Golliff, Gooch, Goodell, Gooding, Goodnough, Googins, Gopper, Gordon, Gorman, Goss, Gossee, Gossler, Gossom, Gottlieb, gough, gougou, goulding, goulet, goullaud, gove, Goven, Gover, Goward…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)