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

Goffney, 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 Goffney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goffney in America

Goffney is the 39052nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goffney surname appeared 564 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 Goffney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goffney 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 Goffney

The surname Goffney originates from England, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Goffrey," which itself stems from the Germanic elements "gau" (territory) and "frid" (peace), suggesting the name's bearer was a peaceful guardian of a particular territory.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Goffney name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William Goffney is mentioned. In the 13th century, the Goffney surname took root in various parts of southern England, including Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset.

The Goffney name can be traced back to the village of Goffney, near Honiton in Devon, which existed as early as the 11th century. This place name likely contributed to the surname's evolution, as individuals from that area adopted "Goffney" as their family name.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the Goffney surname was Sir John Goffney (c. 1320-1385), a prominent landowner and member of Parliament from Warwickshire. He played a role in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his military service.

Another historical figure with the Goffney name was Thomas Goffney (1550-1629), a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Coventry during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Robert Goffney (1610-1675) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was commended for his bravery in several battles.

In the 18th century, the Goffney family gained prominence in the county of Essex, where a branch of the family owned substantial landholdings. Notable members included Sir William Goffney (1725-1802), a respected magistrate and philanthropist.

As the centuries passed, variations of the Goffney surname emerged, including Goffnay, Gofney, and Gouffney. Despite these spelling variations, the name's origins and meaning remained rooted in its English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goffney

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

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 Goffney 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 Goffney 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 Goffney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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