Fun Facts About the Name Godric
- 385 babies named Godric: U.S. records list 385 babies given the name Godric from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Godric Mean?
Godric is an Old English personal name meaning "God's ruler," built from two elements: gōd ("god") and rīc ("ruler, power, dominion"). The same second element appears in other Old English names, such as Æthelric and Eadric.
The first element is the ordinary Old English word for "god," also found in names like Godwine and Godgifu, the source of Godiva. Because the compound joins a word for God to a word for ruling, the customary gloss is "God's ruler." The second element could also mean "power" or "dominion," so some explanations give "God's power," but in personal names the "ruler" sense is the usual one.
Godric Name History & Origins
Godric is recorded in England in the late Old English period, before the Norman Conquest. It belongs to the large group of two-element names that Old English speakers formed from a shared stock of first and second elements, and it appears in Domesday Book (1086), where several English landholders carry the name. The cognate Old Norse name Guðríkr shows the same compound in use elsewhere in the Germanic-speaking world, but the Old English form is the direct ancestor of the modern name.
The best-known medieval bearer was Saint Godric of Finchale (about 1065 - 1170), an English merchant and sailor who became a hermit near Durham; after his death he was venerated, and two short religious songs are attributed to him. Other men named Godric appear as minor officials and clergy in twelfth-century records.
After the Norman Conquest, Norman French names gradually displaced much of the Old English name stock, and Godric became uncommon in the later Middle Ages. It survived mainly in historical and antiquarian writing, and its modern use is largely a revival. Many readers now meet the name in fiction - for instance, Godric Gryffindor in the Harry Potter series - but that is a modern literary use of an older name, not its origin.
How Popular is the Name Godric?
Godric has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #2,936 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,033 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #6,569 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #5,530 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #4,606 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2021 | #4,534 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2020 | #3,952 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2019 | #5,408 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #3,820 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2017 | #4,992 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #3,183 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2015 | #2,936 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2014 | #3,404 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #3,527 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2012 | #4,298 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #4,412 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2010 | #4,899 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #6,948 | 12 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Godric Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Godric's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Godric's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.