given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
and an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
. The given name is derived from the
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
''Godefroy'', a name composed of the elements: the first being either ''god'' ("god") or ''gōd'' ("good"); the second being ''fred'' ("peace"). The name was brought to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
by settlers from
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The name is rendered '' Goraidh'', ''Goiridh'' in
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
. In some cases the surname is derived from the
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
personal name ''Godfrey'', ''Godefrey''; or the Old French ''Godefrei'', ''Godefroi'', ''Godefrois''; or the Continental Germanic ''Godefrid''. In other cases, the surname is derived from the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
Godfrey of Amiens
Godfrey of Amiens (French: Geoffroy d'Amiens) (1066–1115) was a bishop of Amiens. He is a saint in the Catholic Church.
Life
Godfrey was born to Frodon his father in 1066 in Moulincourt, in the Diocese of Soissons. When his mother died, his ...
(1066–1115), bishop of Amiens
* Godfrey of Bath (died 1135), bishop of Bath
*
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
(1060–1100), leader of the First Crusade, first king of Jerusalem
*
Godfrey of Brabant
Godfrey of Brabant (died July 11, 1302 in Kortrijk), was Lord of Aarschot, between 1284 and his death in 1302, and Lord of Vierzon, between 1277 and 1302.
Biography
Godfrey was the third son of Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Adelaide of Burgun ...
Godfrey of Esch
Godfrey (Geoffrey) (''Filius Fredelonis, unus de collateralibus ducis Godefridi)'' (died after 1098), Lord of Esch and crusader, son of Fredelon of Esch. Godfrey was brother to Henry of Esch. His family held the castle of Esch-sur-Sûre in the ...
(11th century), Lord of Esch and crusader
*
Godfrey of Fontaines Godfrey of Fontaines (born sometime before 1250, died 29 October 1306 or 1309), in Latin Godefridus de Fontibus, was a scholastic philosopher and theologian, designated by the title Doctor Venerandus. He made contributions to a diverse range of sub ...
Godfrey of Viterbo Godfrey of ViterboAlso called Geoffrey of Viterbo, in Italian ''Goffredo da Viterbo'' and in German ''Gottfried von Viterbo'', from Latin ''Gaufridus'', ''Godefridus'' or ''Gotefredus Viterbensis''. (c. 1120 – c. 1196) was a Roman Catholic chroni ...
(c. 1120 – c. 1196), Roman Catholic chronicler
*
Godred Crovan
Godred Crovan (died 1095), known in Gaelic as Gofraid Crobán, Gofraid Meránach, and Gofraid Méránach, was a Norse-Gaelic ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles. Although his precise parentage has not completely been proven, he was c ...
(died 1095), King of Dublin and the Isles
*
Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill
Gofraid mac Amlaíb meic Ragnaill (died 1075) was a late eleventh-century King of Dublin. Although the precise identities of his father and grandfather are uncertain, Gofraid was probably a kinsman of his royal predecessor, Echmarcach mac Ragna ...
(died 1075), King of Dublin
*
Godfrey van Rhenen
Godfried or Godfrey van Rhenen (died on 27 May 1178) was a bishop of Utrecht from 1156 to 1178.
Godfrey was appointed with support from Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1159 to deal with a revolt of citizens and his own ministers as a conseque ...
* Godfrey (born 1969), stage name of Godfrey Danchimah
* Godfrey Agnew (1913–1995), British civil servant
*
Godfrey Argent
Bernard Godfrey Argent (6 February 1937 – 1 June 2006) was an English photographer notable for his black and white portraits of royalty, politicians, aristocrats and celebrities.
Early life
Argent was born in Eastbourne, Sussex, the son of mot ...
(1937–2006), English photographer
*
Godfrey Ashby
Godfrey William Ernest Candler Ashby (born 6 November 1930) is a British Anglican bishop, theologian, and academic. From 1980 to 1985, he was the eighth Bishop of St John's in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. From 1988 to 1995, he w ...
(born 1930), British Anglican bishop, theologian and academic
* Godfrey Baldacchino (born 1960), Maltese-Canadian social scientist
*
Godfrey Cambridge
Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge (February 26, 1933 – November 29, 1976) was an American stand-up comic and actor. Alongside Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, and Nipsey Russell, he was acclaimed by ''Time'' in 1965 as "one of the country's foremost celeb ...
(1933–1976), American comedian
* Godfrey Darbishire (1853–1889), English-born Welsh rugby union forward
*
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans (18 August 1920 – 3 May 1999) was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England. Described by ''Wisden'' as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match ...
(1920–1999), English cricketer
*
Godfrey Farrugia
Godfrey Farrugia (born May 4, 1960, in Żebbuġ), is a former Maltese politician, a family doctor, who served as member of the Maltese parliament from 2013 to 2022. He formerly served as the Minister for Health and a Government Whip, of which h ...
(born 1960), Maltese politician
* Godfrey Fuchs (1889–1972), German-Canadian soccer player
*
Godfrey Gao
Godfrey Gao (; 22 September 1984 – 27 November 2019) was a Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor. Described as Asia's first male supermodel, Gao was the first male Asian model to appear in a campaign for Louis Vuitton. As an actor, he was known f ...
(1984–2019), Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor
*
Godfrey Douglas Giles
Godfrey Douglas Giles (9 November 1857 Karachi - 1 February 1941) was a painter of horses, military scenes and battles, many experienced firsthand while on service with the British Army in India, Afghanistan, Egypt and South Africa. He produced nu ...
(1857–1941), English painter
*
Godfrey Goldsborough
Godfrey Goldsborough (1548 in Cambridge – 26 May 1604) was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of Gloucester from 1598-1604. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He also served as a Prebendary of Worcester.
Career
He was born in ...
(1548–1604), English clergyman
* Godfrey G. Goodwin (1873–1933), American politician
*
Godfrey Grayson
Godfrey Ramsey H. Grayson (1913, Birkenhead, Cheshire – 1998, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey) was an English film director.
Selected filmography
* ''Doctor Morelle'' (1949)
* ''Meet Simon Cherry'' (1949)
* '' The Adventures of PC 49'' (1949)
* ' ...
(1913–1998), English film director
*
Godfrey Ho
Godfrey Ho (Chinese language: 何志强 or 何致强, born 1948) is a former Hong Kong-based prolific film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered the Ed Wood of Hong Kong cinema. Ho is believed to have directed more than one hundred film ...
(born 1948), Hong Kong film director and screenwriter
*
Godfrey Hounsfield
Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield (28 August 1919 – 12 August 2004) was an English electrical engineer who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Allan MacLeod Cormack for his part in developing the diagnostic technique of X ...
(1919–2004), English electrical engineer
*
Godfrey Huggins
Godfrey Martin Huggins, 1st Viscount Malvern (6 July 1883 – 8 May 1971), was a Rhodesian politician and physician. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia from 1933 to 1953 and remained in office as the first Prime Minis ...
(1883–1971), Rhodesian politician and physician
*
Godfrey Imhof
Alfred Godfrey Imhof (6 May 1911 in St. Giles – 27 August 1963 in Paddington) was a British racing driver in trials, rallies and hill climbing. He was the winner of the 2nd RAC Rally that was held in 1952, driving an Allard-Cadillac J2.
Career ...
(1911–1963), English racing driver
*
Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki
Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki, known as GG Kariuki (1 January 1937 – 30 June 2017) was a Kenyan politician who entered elective politics at independence in 1963. During Kenya's 11th Parliament, he served as Senator representing Laikipia County and one ...
Godfrey Kneller
Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to Kingdom of England, English and Br ...
(1646–1723), English portrait painter
*
Godfrey Lagden
Sir Godfrey Yeatman Lagden (1 September 1851 – 26 June 1934) was a British colonial administrator in Africa.
Early life
Lagden was born at Yetminster, Dorset, the son of Reverend Richard Dowse Lagden of Balsham House, Cambridgeshire and w ...
(1851–1934), British colonial administrator
* Godfrey Edward Madawala (1878-1932), Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician
* Godfrey McCulloch (1640–1697), Scottish politician and murderer
*
Godfrey McHugh
Godfrey T. McHugh (September 30, 1911 – July 5, 1997) was a United States Air Force general, and served as military aide to President John F. Kennedy.
Early years
McHugh was born in Brussels, Belgium, to American parents. He received a bacca ...
(1911–1997), United States Air Force general
* Godfrey Morse (1846–1911), German-American lawyer
*
Godfrey Mwakikagile
Godfrey Mwakikagile (born 4 October 1949 in Kigoma) is a prominent Tanzanian scholar and author specialising in African studies. He was also a news reporter for ''The Standard'' (later renamed the '' Daily News'') — the oldest and largest En ...
(born 1949), Tanzanian scholar and author
* Godfrey O'Donnell (1939–2020), Northern Irish priest
*
Godfrey Reggio
Godfrey Reggio (born March 29, 1940) is an American director of experimental documentary films.
Life
Reggio was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to an old and distinguished Louisiana family descended from Francesco M. de Reggio, an Italian noblem ...
(born 1939), American director of experimental documentary films
*
Godfrey A. Rockefeller
Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller, Sr. (May 22, 1924 – January 22, 2010) was an American aviator. He was the eldest son of Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He is best known for his environmental interests and role in the Wo ...
(1924–2010), American aviator
*
Godfrey Vigne
Godfrey Thomas Vigne (1 September 1801 – 12 July 1863) was an English amateur cricketer and traveller.
Early life
Vigne was born on 1 September 1801 at Walthamstow, then in Essex, the eldest son of Thomas Vigne. He entered Harrow School in ...
(1801–1863), English cricketer and traveler
* Godfrey Walusimbi (born 1989), Ugandan footballer
* Godfrey Zaunbrecher (born 1946), American football player
The Moonstone
''The Moonstone'' (1868) by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel. It is an early example of the modern detective novel, and established many of the ground rules of the modern genre. The story was serialised in Charles Di ...
''
* Godfrey, a character in ''
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on December 1, it is the third installment in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and the seventh main en ...
''
* Godfrey, also known as Godric, a character in ''
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, '' Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the A ...
'' novels by Charlaine Harris
*
Gordon Godfrey
Glorious Godfrey is a DC Comics supervillain who is part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s.
Publication history
Glorious Godfrey first appeared in ''The Forever People'' #3 (June 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby.
...
, a supporting character and supervillain from
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
* Godfrey, a character in the television series ''Taboo''
* Godfrey, First Elden Lord, a character in the video game ''
Elden Ring
is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by fantasy writer George R. R. Martin, it was released for PlayStation 4, PlayS ...
''
Surname
*
Albert Earl Godfrey
Air Vice-Marshal Albert Earl "Steve" Godfrey MC (27 July 1890 – 1 January 1982) was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 14 victories while flying for the Royal Flying Corps. He spent the remainder of his ...
(1890–1982), Canadian First World War flying ace
*
Ambrose Godfrey
Ambrose Godfrey-Hanckwitz FRS (1660 – 15 January 1741), also known as Gottfried Hankwitz, also written Hanckewitz, or Ambrose Godfrey as he preferred to be known, was a German-born British phosphorus manufacturer and apothecary. He was one of ...
(1660–1741), phosphorus manufacturer
*
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...
(1903–1983), American radio and television broadcaster
*
Ben Godfrey
Benjamin Matthew Godfrey (born 15 January 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Everton and the England national team.
Early and personal life
Godfrey was born in York, North Yorkshire, and attended ...
(born 1998), English footballer
*
Billie Godfrey
Billie Godfrey is an English singer.
Background
Based in London and Brighton, Godfrey has been a vocalist for many artists and in her own right. She started her career as a radio DJ, playing the kind of music she would later go on to record.
...
Dan Godfrey
Sir Daniel Eyers "Dan" Godfrey (20 June 1868 – 20 July 1939) was a British music conductor and member of a musical dynasty that included his father Daniel Godfrey (1831–1903). His son, also Dan Godfrey, was also a musician, station man ...
(1868–1939), British conductor, son of bandmaster Daniel Godfrey
*
Daniel Godfrey (bandmaster)
Daniel Godfrey (4 September 1831 – 30 June 1903) was a bandmaster, composer and arranger of compositions for military bands. He was for many years bandmaster of the Grenadier Guards.
Life
He was born in Westminster in 1831, eldest of four son ...
(1831–1903), British bandmaster and composer
* Daniel Strong Godfrey (born 1949), American composer
*
DeWitt Godfrey
DeWitt Godfrey (born 1960) is an American sculptor, best known for his large abstract constructions of banded steel installed in public sites. Godfrey was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan; he earned a B.A. in art from Y ...
(born 1960), an American modernist sculptor
*
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey (23 December 1621 – 12 October 1678) was an England, English magistrate whose mysterious death caused anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholic uproar in England. Contemporary documents also spell the name Edmundbury Godfrey.
E ...
Frederick Race Godfrey
Frederick Race Godfrey (11 May 1828 – 11 September 1910),
was a Victorian (Australia) pioneer and politician.
Early life
Frederic was the fourth son of Colonel John Race Godfrey and Jane Octavia Woodhouse. He was born at Bellary, India on ...
(1828–1910), public figure and politician in Victoria, Australia
* George Godfrey (1853–1901), Canadian boxer and world 'colored' heavyweight champion
** Feab S. Williams (1897–1947), American boxer and world 'colored' heavyweight champion (better known as George Godfrey; named after Godfrey)
*
Isidore Godfrey
Isidore Godfrey OBE (27 September 1900 – 12 September 1977), born Israel Gotfryd, was musical director of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for 39 years, from 1929 to 1968. He conducted most of the company's performances during that period, excep ...
(1900–1977), conductor
*
Kathy Godfrey
Kathryn Morton Godfrey ( 1915 – February 4, 1981) was an American talk show host on radio and television and sister of entertainer Arthur Godfrey. She was also known professionally as Kathy Morton. Her first name is sometimes seen spelled Katheri ...
Robert John Godfrey
Robert John Godfrey (born 30 July 1947) is a British composer, pianist and a founding member of The Enid.
Early career
Born on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was privately educated in various prep schools prior to going to Fin ...
Wilhelmina McAlpin Godfrey
Wilhelmina McAlpin Godfrey (August 27, 1914 – May 13, 1994) was an American painter, printmaker and textile artist, art educator and community activist in Buffalo, New York.
Biography
Godfrey was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was ra ...
Geoffrey (given name)
Geoffrey is an English and French masculine given name. It is generally considered the Anglo-Norman form of the Germanic compound 'god' and 'peace'. It is a derivative of Dutch Godfried, German Gottfried and Old English Gotfrith and Godfri ...
Gottfried
Gottfried is a masculine German given name.
It is derived from the Old High German name , recorded since the 7th century.
The name is composed of the elements (conflated from the etyma for 'God' and 'good', and possibly further conflated with ) a ...
, a German equivalent
* Queen Goodfey, supporting character of ''
Mysticons
''Mysticons'' is an animated television series that aired from August 28, 2017 to September 15, 2018. The show is a collaboration between companies Nelvana, Playmates Toys, and The Topps Company. The show was created by Sean Jara, who is also th ...
'', in which she is the kind and brave ruler of the people of planet Gemina.