2000
#1,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.79
Uncommon Last name
Goff
A variant of Gough, likely referring to a person with a cleft palate or who spoke strangely.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 35,565 Americans carry the last name Goff. That puts it at #1,113 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,637 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goff surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Goff with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
36K
1 in 9,637
Census rank
#1,113
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,014 bearers of the surname Goff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1113th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goff, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goff
The surname GOFF originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gof," which means "fork" or "outlet of a stream." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a fork in a river or stream.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for people with the surname GOFF or similar spellings, such as Goff, Gough, and Goffe. This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOFF is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1202, which mentions a person named William Goff. In the 13th century, there are records of a family with the surname GOFF residing in the parish of Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol.
Over the centuries, the GOFF name has been associated with various places in England, such as Goff's Oak in Hertfordshire and Goff's Park in Essex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname GOFF who lived in or owned land in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname GOFF include:
1. Thomas Goff (c. 1592 - 1629), an English writer and clergyman who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
2. Ebenezer Goff (1741 - 1821), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later served as a state legislator in New Hampshire.
3. Sir Nathan Goff (1843 - 1920), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
4. Sir Bruce Goff (1904 - 1982), an influential American architect known for his organic and experimental designs, including the Bavinger House in Norman, Oklahoma.
5. Brendan Goff (born 1988), an Australian professional rugby league player who has played for several clubs, including the New Zealand Warriors and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
The surname GOFF has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in medieval England. Despite its long-standing presence, it has maintained a distinct identity and continues to be carried by individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goff
Among Census respondents with the surname Goff, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Goff bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Goff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 26,027
- Black or African American7.5% · 2,311
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,238
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,086
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 189
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 163
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goff
Goff appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,298
+492 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 10.95
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,014
-1,284 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 10.38
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,001 | 31,806 | 11.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,081 | 32,298 | 10.95 | +492 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,113 | 31,014 | 10.38 | -1,284 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Goff surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,081 | #1,113 | -3.0% |
| Count | 32,298 | 31,014 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 10.95 | 10.38 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goff bearers went from 32,298 to 31,014 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,081 to #1,113.
FAQ
Goff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goff?
Name Census estimates that about 35,565 living Americans carry the surname Goff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,637 residents.
How common is Goff?
Goff ranks #1,113 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,014 people with the surname Goff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (35,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Goff.
Has Goff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goff went from 32,298 recorded bearers to 31,014. That is a decrease of 1,284 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,081 to #1,113.
What does the Census say about the background of Goff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goff, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (26,027 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (7.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Goff (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Goff mean?
A variant of Gough, likely referring to a person with a cleft palate or who spoke strangely. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Goff (10.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Goff?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.