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Goodspeed Family History

Goodspeed Name Meaning

English (London): from the Middle English expression god spede ‘God speed (you)’; a wish for success for one setting out on an enterprise presumably applied as a nickname for someone who habitually used this expression.

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


Similar surnames: Goodyear, Goodchild, Goodson, Speed, Goodbread, Goodsell, Gooden

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Goodspeed family from?

You can see how Goodspeed families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goodspeed family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Goodspeed families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 34 Goodspeed families living in Massachusetts. This was about 25% of all the recorded Goodspeed's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Goodspeed families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goodspeed surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Goodspeed ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Goodspeed. 17% of Goodspeed men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Goodspeed women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goodspeed were Truck Driver and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Goodspeed | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Maid
    8%
  • Clerk
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Goodspeed family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Goodspeed. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goodspeed census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Goodspeed

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Goodspeed. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Goodspeed immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Goodspeed military records

You've only scratched the surface of Goodspeed family history

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What is the average Goodspeed lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Goodspeed life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Goodspeed in 1946 was 44, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Goodspeed

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Goodspeed family tree

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