Find out how popular the last name Goff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Goff.
A variant of Gough, likely referring to a person with a cleft palate or who spoke strangely.
Goff, 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 Goff surname is from the 2010 census data.
Goff is the 1081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Goff surname appeared 32,298 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Goff.
We can also compare 2010 data for Goff 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 1081 | 1001 | 7.68% |
Count | 32,298 | 31,806 | 1.54% |
Proportion per 100k | 10.95 | 11.79 | -7.39% |
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:
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.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Goff.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Goff was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 87.20% | 28,164 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 7.78% | 2,513 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.54% | 174 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 152 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.59% | 514 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.42% | 782 |
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 Goff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 87.20% | 88.96% | -2.00% |
Black | 7.78% | 7.25% | 7.05% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.42% | 25.00% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | 1.59% | 1.29% | 20.83% |
Hispanic | 2.42% | 1.62% | 39.60% |
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 Goff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Goff, please contact us.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/goff-surname-popularity/">Goff last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Goff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/goff-surname-popularity/.
"Goff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/goff-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 December, 2024
Goff last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/goff-surname-popularity/.
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.