This interesting and unusual name is a late development of the early Medieval English surname perhaps more familiar as "Goodyear" or "Goodyer". The surname is a good example of that medieval group of names originating in a commonly used phrase, often beginning with the element "good", in Middle English "gode", from the Old English pre 7th Century "god", which was taken up as a byname or nickname and thence eventually a surname, because of the habitual use of the phrase by someone. Other examples are Goodsir, Gooday, Goodby, Goodchap and Gooden, respectively from use of the pharases "Good sir", "Good day", "God be with you", "Good ch(e)ap" (a trader's call), and "Good evening" (God give you good even). The surname "Goodyear" derives from "gode" as before, with "year" (Old English "gear"), year, and is associated with the phrase "as I hope to have a good year". The modern surname can be found as Goodger and Gudger. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Mary Goodger, which was dated January 12th 1605, St. Stephen's, Coleman Street, London, during the reign of King James 1 of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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