An English surname the Goodwin family name comes from the Old English term of ‘godwine’ which means good friend.

Spelling variations for Goodwin include Goddywne, Goodings, Goodin, Godwyn, Godwin and Goodwine.

In England the Goodwin families mostly live in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, in the city of London and along the southeastern coastal region. The regions of Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire and Sterlington in Scotland have many Goodwin families.

Within the United States the Goodwin name is primarily in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois and California.

Famous: Archie Goodwin (comic book writer, artist and editor), Doris Kearns Goodwin (U. S. historian), Nathaniel Carl Goodwin (19th century actor), William Archer Rutherford Goodwin (preservation and restoration of Colonial Williamsburg), Ginnifer Goodwin (TV actress), Francis Goodwin (architect from England) and Betty Goodwin (artist from Canada).