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

Going, 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 Going surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Going in America

Going is the 20648th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Going surname appeared 1,282 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 Going.

We can also compare 2010 data for Going 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 Going

The surname GOING is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from an Old English word "gā" or "gān," which meant "to go" or "to walk." It is likely that the name GOING was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was a frequent traveler or had a particular gait or walking style.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOING surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a William Goyng. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 also reference a John Goyinge. These early spellings, such as "Goyng" and "Goyinge," suggest the name's evolution from the Old English root word.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the GOING surname appeared in various records across different regions of England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, a Thomas Goyng is listed, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 mention a Walter Goyng. These records provide evidence of the name's dispersal and establishment in various parts of the country.

Notable individuals with the GOING surname include John Going (c. 1504-1568), an English Protestant clergyman and reformer who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Robert Going (1578-1648), an English churchman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1617 until his death.

In the 17th century, William Going (1633-1679) was an English parliamentarian and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Banbury in 1658. During the same period, Benjamin Going (1659-1719) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1711 to 1712.

In the 18th century, Henry Going (1728-1816) was a notable English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Dorchester from 1768 to 1784. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Dorset and held several other public offices.

While the GOING surname has its roots in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. Over the centuries, variations and spellings such as Gowing, Gowen, and Gowin have also emerged, reflecting regional linguistic influences and adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Going

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

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

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

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