2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gofourth
An English surname derived from a person's occupation or activity related to going forth or traveling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gofourth. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gofourth 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Gofourth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gofourth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gofourth
The surname GOFOURTH is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has since changed its spelling significantly over time.
One theory suggests that the name GOFOURTH may have originated from a now-extinct place name that contained the Old English words "go" and "forth," possibly referring to a location where travelers would depart or set forth on a journey. However, there is limited historical documentation to confirm this theory definitively.
The earliest known record of the GOFOURTH surname dates back to the late 16th century. In 1594, a William Gofourth was mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the surname in its current spelling.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662, where a John Gofourth is listed as a resident of Cheshire. Additionally, a Thomas Gofourth was recorded in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642 for the county of Staffordshire.
One notable individual bearing the GOFOURTH surname was Sir Robert Gofourth (1620-1685), a wealthy landowner and member of the English gentry. He served as a Justice of the Peace in Gloucestershire and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the endowment of a school in the town of Tewkesbury.
Another historical figure was Elizabeth Gofourth (1745-1823), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Warwickshire. She made significant contributions to the study of British flora and is credited with discovering several previously undocumented plant species.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Charles Gofourth (1815-1892), a successful industrialist from Lancashire. He founded the Gofourth Textile Mills, which played a crucial role in the region's textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Another notable bearer of the GOFOURTH surname was Captain James Gofourth (1865-1918), a British Army officer who served with distinction in the Second Boer War and World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and leadership in combat.
While the GOFOURTH surname is relatively uncommon, it has persisted throughout British history, with various individuals leaving their mark across different fields and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gofourth
Among Census respondents with the surname Gofourth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gofourth 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 Gofourth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gofourth
Gofourth 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+21 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,694 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-11 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 9,694 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 12,262 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 Gofourth 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 | #129,047 | #141,309 | -9.5% |
| Count | 132 | 121 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gofourth bearers went from 132 to 121 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 12,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gofourth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gofourth?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gofourth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gofourth?
Gofourth ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Gofourth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gofourth.
Has Gofourth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gofourth went from 132 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gofourth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gofourth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Gofourth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gofourth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Gofourth (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 Gofourth mean?
An English surname derived from a person's occupation or activity related to going forth or traveling. 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 Gofourth (0.04 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 Gofourth?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.