Godwin Explained
Godwin is an English-language surname with Anglo-Saxon origins. It means God's friend and is thus equivalent to Theophilus, Jedediah, Amadeus and Reuel.However, the word "Godwin" can also mean "helper of mankind"
Surname or only known name
House of Godwin
See main article: House of Godwin.
Politics and governance
- Abraham Godwin (1763–1835), New Jersey General Assembly 1802–1806, Elector for Andrew Jackson 1828
- Abraham Godwin Jr. (1791–1849), New Jersey General Assembly 1821–1832, took vote to D.C. for Presidential Election 1840
- Hannibal Lafayette Godwin (1873–1929), North Carolina Congressman
- Mary Wollstonecraft, later Mary Godwin (1759–1797), English author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
- Mills E. Godwin Jr. (1914–1999), Governor of Virginia
- Richard Godwin (1922–2005), First Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
- William Godwin (1756–1836), English political philosopher
Religion
Arts and entertainment
- Catherine Grace Godwin (1798–1845), Scottish poet
- Edward William Godwin (1833–1886), English architect
- Elizabeth Ayton Godwin (1817–1889), English hymnwriter, religious poet
- Fay Godwin (1931–2005), British photographer
- Frank Godwin (1889–1959), American illustrator, creator of Connie comic strip
- Frank Godwin (film producer) (1917–2012), English film producer
- Gail Godwin (born 1937), American novelist and short story writer
- George Stanley Godwin (1889–1974), English author
- Jack Godwin (1904-1973), English conjurer and magician
- Jeff Godwin, American fundamentalist, former rock musician
- Joscelyn Godwin (born 1945), English musicologist and translator
- Mary Godwin (artist) (1887–1960), British artist
- Mary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 1797–1851), English author of Frankenstein
- Parke Godwin (1929–2013), American writer
- Parke Godwin (journalist) (1816–1904), American journalist
- Paul Godwin (1902–1982), Polish violinist and bandleader
- Peter Godwin (born 1957), Zimbabwean author and journalist
- Peter Godwin (singer), English new wave musician
- Robert Godwin (born 1958), British author
- Ted Godwin (1933–2013), Canadian artist
- Tom Godwin (1915–1980), American science fiction author
Science
Sport
- Billy Godwin (born 1964), American college baseball coach
- Chris Godwin (born 1996), American football player
- Jack Godwin (born 1904), British Olympic rower
- John Godwin (baseball) (1877–1956), American baseball player
- Neville Godwin (born 1975), South African tennis player
- Terry Godwin (born 1996), American football player
- Tommy Godwin (footballer) (1927–1996), Irish footballer
- Tommy Godwin (cyclist, born 1912) (1912–1975), English cyclist and world record holder for miles covered in a year
- Tommy Godwin (cyclist, born 1920) (1920–2012), British track cyclist active during the 1940s and 1950s
- Verdi Godwin (1926–2013), English footballer
- Wayne Godwin (born 1982), English rugby player
Military
Other people
- Becky Godwin (1954–1968), daughter of Virginia Governor Godwin, killed by lightning
- Glen Stewart Godwin (born 1958), American murderer, former FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive
- Mike Godwin (born 1956), American lawyer, created Godwin's law of Internet discussions (mentioning Hitler)
Given name
Fictional characters
- Neil Godwin, from The Office
Places
Other uses
See also
