Godsey
An English surname most likely built from a personal name, meaning “son or descendant of God’s-name” rather than a literal reference to God.
The #5,914 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,994 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Godsey is generally treated as an English surname formed from an old personal name or nickname beginning with God-, a very common element in medieval names. The second element is likely an old name-forming suffix or a reduced ending that later became fixed as a surname form. In other words, the name probably began as a byname or family-name from a personal name rather than from the modern word “god” used directly as a label.
History
The surname is found in English-speaking records and later carried to North America, where it remains relatively uncommon. Like many surnames built from early personal names, it may have multiple local origins that converged on the same spelling. The modern form is stable, but historical spellings may vary quite a bit.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because early record-keeping was inconsistent, surnames like Godsey often ended up with several spellings in different counties or even within the same family.