What does goddaughter mean?
A goddaughter is a female godchild, meaning a girl for whom another person has taken on the role of godparent or spiritual sponsor. The term is normally used within families and close social networks, especially in connection with christening or baptism, although the relationship also exists outside explicitly religious settings. A goddaughter is not ordinarily the biological daughter of the person serving as her godparent. Instead, the designation records a social and symbolic connection, often involving responsibilities associated with sponsorship and participation in family life. The word belongs to a wider set of related English terms that includes godchild, godparent, godfather, and godmother. In contemporary British and American English, goddaughter is neutral in register and can appear in family conversation, biographies, novels, and commemorative writing. Its use often conveys affection or the importance of an extended family relationship, but it does not by itself imply a particularly close or warm relationship.
nounA goddaughter is a female godchild: a girl for whom someone has accepted the role of godparent or spiritual sponsor. The relationship is social and symbolic rather than biological.
- A female godchild; a girl for whom someone is a godparent.
"Her goddaughter joined the family for a celebratory lunch after completing her university degree."
"The couple chose their niece as their goddaughter when she was born."
"In the novel, the young woman discovers that her late aunt had been her goddaughter."
The regular plural is goddaughters; the possessive singular is goddaughter’s.
"The two goddaughters were both presented at the family christening."
A goddaughter is a daughter in the chosen-family sense: the “god” preserves the old idea of a baptismal sponsor and the bond of responsibility that follows.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of goddaughter
Goddaughter is an English compound formed from god and daughter, parallel to related terms such as godchild, godparent, godfather, and godmother. Its development followed the older Christian practice of presenting a child for baptism with an adult sponsor, using god in the sense associated with that religious responsibility. In modern usage, the term retains the idea of spiritual sponsorship and chosen-family connection, even when the relationship has no explicitly religious basis.
Related word forms
How goddaughter is actually used
The term is neutral, ordinary kinship vocabulary in contemporary British and American English. It is normally written as one word, and its use in fiction or personal narrative may imply affection, family closeness, or a long-standing social bond.
Easily confused with goddaughter
A godchild can be female or male, while a goddaughter is specifically a female godchild.
A goddaughter is the female child of a godparent, whereas a godson is the male child of a godparent.