Find out how popular the last name Goethe is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Goethe.

Goethe, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Goethe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goethe in America

Goethe is the 32632nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goethe surname appeared 704 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Goethe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goethe to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Goethe

The surname Goethe is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "god," meaning good or virtuous, and the word "hütte," meaning hut or cottage, suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived in a good or respectable dwelling.

The earliest known record of the Goethe name can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Hesse, Germany. Some variations of the spelling included Gödde, Göthe, and Götze. The name was also associated with the town of Götheyn, which is now known as Gothen, a municipality in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Hesse.

One of the most famous individuals to bear the Goethe surname was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a renowned German writer, poet, playwright, and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most influential figures in German literature and is often referred to as the "Shakespeare of Germany."

Another notable Goethe was Christian Gottlob Goethe (1720-1791), the father of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He was an imperial councillor and contributed to the development of the city of Frankfurt am Main.

In the 16th century, a Goethe family lived in the town of Mühlhausen, Thuringia, where they were respected citizens and members of the local guild. One member, Hans Goethe (1520-1585), served as a magistrate and town councillor.

The Goethe name also appeared in various historical records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a compilation of documents related to the history of the Anhalt region in Germany, which mentions individuals with the surname Goethe as early as the 14th century.

Another notable Goethe was Katharina Elisabeth Goethe (1731-1808), the mother of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. She was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Frankfurt and played a significant role in fostering her son's love for literature and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goethe

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Goethe.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Goethe was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Goethe has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Goethe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Goethe, please contact us.

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