2000
#11,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,513
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Goggin
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gógáin, meaning "descendant of Gógán," derived from the diminutive of gog, meaning "soft."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,633 Americans carry the last name Goggin. That puts it at #12,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goggin 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 Goggin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,176
Census rank
#12,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,296 bearers of the surname Goggin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goggin
The surname Goggin is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is considered an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Gogáin, derived from the personal name Gogán, a diminutive form of the name Gogaidh.
Gogaidh itself is thought to be a derivative of the Gaelic word "gog," which means "arrogant" or "proud." This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have been known for their confident or haughty demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Goggin surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name appears in an entry from the year 1562, referencing a Conor O'Goggin, a member of a prominent family from County Cork.
In the 17th century, the Goggin name was particularly prevalent in the region of West Cork, with several notable figures emerging from this area. One such individual was Donagh Goggin, a Catholic priest who lived from 1603 to 1675 and played a significant role in preserving the faith during the period of the Penal Laws.
Another prominent figure was Captain Cornelius Goggin, born in 1673, who served in the Irish Brigade of the French army under King Louis XIV. He was recognized for his bravery and military prowess during the Nine Years' War against the Dutch Republic.
In the 18th century, the Goggin surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Goggin in 1752. He was a successful merchant and landowner in County Cork, known for his philanthropic endeavors and support of local education initiatives.
A notable bearer of the Goggin name in more recent history was Sir William Goggin, born in 1866 in County Cork. He was a prominent Irish jurist and served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1922 to 1937, playing a crucial role in the early years of the Irish Free State.
While the Goggin surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora. Variations of the spelling, such as Gogin and Gogan, have also emerged over time, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and record-keeping.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goggin
Among Census respondents with the surname Goggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Goggin 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 Goggin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,130
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 65
- Two or more races2.7% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goggin
Goggin 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
#12,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,470
-43 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,049 places
2020
#12,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,296
-174 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,492 | 2,513 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,541 | 2,470 | 0.84 | -43 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,049 places |
| 2020 | #12,808 | 2,296 | 0.77 | -174 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 267 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 Goggin 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 | #12,541 | #12,808 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,470 | 2,296 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.77 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goggin bearers went from 2,470 to 2,296 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 267 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,541 to #12,808.
FAQ
Goggin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goggin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,633 living Americans carry the surname Goggin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,176 residents.
How common is Goggin?
Goggin ranks #12,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,296 people with the surname Goggin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,633), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Goggin.
Has Goggin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goggin went from 2,470 recorded bearers to 2,296. That is a decrease of 174 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,541 to #12,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Goggin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goggin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Goggin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goggin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Goggin (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 Goggin mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gógáin, meaning "descendant of Gógán," derived from the diminutive of gog, meaning "soft." 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 Goggin (0.77 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 are called Goggin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Goggin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.