The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 7,212 black Americans with Goode as their last name. That represented 32% of the total of 22,356 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Goode.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onwards, all black Americans were included.
1,108 people named Goode were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 210 as mixed.
There was a total of 2,952 people with the name.
Goode In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 2,332 people with the last name Goode as black within a total of 6,296 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 2,087 people named Goode as black within a total of 11,486.
Historic Black Figures With The Goode Surname
Here are some notable African Americans in history with Goode as their last name.
Mal H. Goode
- Born: 1908
- From: White Plains, New York
- Died: 1995
Mal H. Goode grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he began his career as a freelance writer and later worked at the Pittsburgh Courier, a leading Black newspaper.
In 1962, he made history by becoming the first African American network news correspondent when he joined ABC News.
At ABC News, Goode covered various national and international events, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights Movement, and the United Nations.
His work as a news correspondent opened doors for other African American journalists in broadcast media.
In 1990, the National Association of Black Journalists recognized his achievements by presenting him with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here are just a few other notable black journalists in the Hall Of Fame:
Sarah Goode
- Born: 1855
- From: Toledo, Ohio
- Died: 1905
Sarah Jacobs was born in 1855 but her family moved to Chicago in her teens. She married Archibald Goode and the couple opened a furniture store.
Her Chicago customers lived in small apartments and had difficulty finding beds that would fit their homes. Sarah invented a folding bed that folded into a roll-top desk.
She was one of the first African Americans to receive a patent when it was awarded in 1885. A science academy was opened in her name in South Chicago in 2012.
Other Inventors
Here are some other early black female inventors:
Goode In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of for family history research. Here are examples of the Goode surname from several different military services.
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
One of the earliest military entries for Goode was in February 1874. Patton Goode was a Trumpeter in the Ninth Cavalry. He was stationed in February 1874 at Independence Creek, Texas.
One of the later entries was in November 1909. Clyde F Goode was a Private in the Tenth Cavalry.
If you are researching military ancestors, there is a free index of these records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
You have to create an account on either website, but you do not need to pay for the Buffalo Soldiers archive.