Goodman
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Goodman Surname Genealogy
Goodman, coming from gode meaning "good" and man, would be a status word describing the master of the household (an alternative possibility is that it derived from the Norse personal name Guethmund). The German Gutman and Gutmann have the same meaning. In America and Britain Goodman is often a Jewish surname.
An early Jewish Goodman in London was Tobias Goodman, a preacher in the London synagogues in the early 1800's. Louis Goodman was a linen draper and town councillor in London whose wife Julia, whom he married in 1836, was a well-known British portrait painter. Their seven children were all talented - notably Walter a painter, Edward a travel writer, and Miriam a concert pianist. Henry Goodman, born in the East End of London, is a Jewish actor who has played, among other parts, Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof.
America. There have been Goodman arrivals from England and Gutmann arrivals from Germany and sometimes elsewhere in central Europe.
John Goodman arrived at Plymouth colony on the Mayflower in 1620, but did did not survive beyond the second winter in America. Benjamin Goodman, transported to Barbados as a young boy in 1672, somehow made his way to Maryland and then to Virginia (where his descendants were to be found for the next two hundred years). Other early Goodmans in Virginia were Jacob Goodman, born in Washingtion county in 1745, and Ansel Goodman, born in Hanover county in 1752. Micajah Goodman from North Carolina was an early arrival in Indiana in 1818.
Many of the German Gutmanns became Goodmans in America. Michael and Catherine Guthmann came to Pennsylvania from Germany sometime in the 1720’s. Their family later settled in North Carolina. Gutmanns/Goodmans in Berks county, Pennsylvania records trace back to 1742 and Henry Goodman's birth there in Jefferson township. Among later Gutmanns/Goodmans were:
Oscar Goodman, who grew up in Philadlphia, has been a prominent figure in the recent history of Las Vegas, acting as a defense lawyer for many of its crime bosses and, from 1999, serving as its flamboyant mayor (John L. Smith wrote a book titled Of Rats and Men: Oscar Goodman's Life from Mob Mouthpiece to Mayor of Las Vegas in 2003). His son Ross is an attorney noted for taking up high-profile cases.
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Julia Goodman was a British Victorian portrait painter.
Benny Goodman was the great bandleader from the jazz swing era. He was of Polish Jewish origin.
Martin Goodman was an American publisher of pulp magazines, launching in the 1930's the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics.
The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel singing group founded by Howard Goodman who were highly popular in the 1960's and 70's.
Goerge Goodman was a popular American economics author who wrote under the pen-name of Adam Smith.
Len Goodman is the senior dance judge on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.
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Goodman, coming from gode meaning "good" and man, would be a status word describing the master of the household (an alternative possibility is that it derived from the Norse personal name Guethmund). The German Gutman and Gutmann have the same meaning. In America and Britain Goodman is often a Jewish surname.
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Goodman Resources on
The
Internet
- Goodman History and Genealogy. Early Goodmans in England and America.
- Goodman Genealogy. Goodman research pages.
- Goodman Family History. Goodmans from Peterborough.
- The Goodmans. Goodmans in Bedfordshire.
- Abraham Goodman. Abraham Goodman of Shelbyville, Indiana.
An early Jewish Goodman in London was Tobias Goodman, a preacher in the London synagogues in the early 1800's. Louis Goodman was a linen draper and town councillor in London whose wife Julia, whom he married in 1836, was a well-known British portrait painter. Their seven children were all talented - notably Walter a painter, Edward a travel writer, and Miriam a concert pianist. Henry Goodman, born in the East End of London, is a Jewish actor who has played, among other parts, Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof.
America. There have been Goodman arrivals from England and Gutmann arrivals from Germany and sometimes elsewhere in central Europe.
John Goodman arrived at Plymouth colony on the Mayflower in 1620, but did did not survive beyond the second winter in America. Benjamin Goodman, transported to Barbados as a young boy in 1672, somehow made his way to Maryland and then to Virginia (where his descendants were to be found for the next two hundred years). Other early Goodmans in Virginia were Jacob Goodman, born in Washingtion county in 1745, and Ansel Goodman, born in Hanover county in 1752. Micajah Goodman from North Carolina was an early arrival in Indiana in 1818.
Many of the German Gutmanns became Goodmans in America. Michael and Catherine Guthmann came to Pennsylvania from Germany sometime in the 1720’s. Their family later settled in North Carolina. Gutmanns/Goodmans in Berks county, Pennsylvania records trace back to 1742 and Henry Goodman's birth there in Jefferson township. Among later Gutmanns/Goodmans were:
- Francis
Gutmann from Hesse who came to America as a young
boy in 1830, fought in the Civil War as Francis Goodman, and settled in
Allegan county, Michigan.
- various Gutmanns from Baden who arrived in Ohio in the
1850's.
- Peter Goodman from Hesse who married Catharina Speer in Philadelphia in the early 1860's
- and Abraham Gutmann from Bavaria who came to New York in the
1870's. His children as Goodmans moved onto Kentucky.
Oscar Goodman, who grew up in Philadlphia, has been a prominent figure in the recent history of Las Vegas, acting as a defense lawyer for many of its crime bosses and, from 1999, serving as its flamboyant mayor (John L. Smith wrote a book titled Of Rats and Men: Oscar Goodman's Life from Mob Mouthpiece to Mayor of Las Vegas in 2003). His son Ross is an attorney noted for taking up high-profile cases.
Select Goodman Miscellany
If you would like to read more, click on the miscellany page for
further stories and accounts:
Select Goodman Names
Julia Goodman was a British Victorian portrait painter.
Benny Goodman was the great bandleader from the jazz swing era. He was of Polish Jewish origin.
Martin Goodman was an American publisher of pulp magazines, launching in the 1930's the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics.
The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel singing group founded by Howard Goodman who were highly popular in the 1960's and 70's.
Goerge Goodman was a popular American economics author who wrote under the pen-name of Adam Smith.
Len Goodman is the senior dance judge on TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.
Select Goodmans Today
Select Surname List
For other surnames check the select surname page where there are to be found the history and genealogy of more than 500 common and notable surnames in the English-speaking world.