2000
#10,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,811
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Goree
Derived from a place name in Senegal, likely referring to an ancestor's origin or association with the island.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,359 Americans carry the last name Goree. That puts it at #10,461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goree 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
3.4K
1 in 102,041
Census rank
#10,461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,929 bearers of the surname Goree in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goree, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goree
The surname GOREE originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gorer," which means "to pierce" or "to gore." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a profession or occupation related to hunting or warfare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOREE can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Godefridus Gorer, whose name likely evolved into the modern spelling of GOREE over time.
During the 12th century, the GOREE surname appeared in various historical records across Normandy and northern France. One notable individual was Guillaume Goree, a nobleman and knight who fought alongside Richard the Lionheart in the Third Crusade (1189-1192).
In the 14th century, the GOREE family established themselves in the region of Brittany, where they owned lands and properties. Jean Goree (c. 1320-1387) was a prominent member of the family and served as a trusted advisor to the Duke of Brittany.
As the GOREE name spread throughout Europe, it also evolved into different spellings and variations. In England, for instance, the name was sometimes spelled as Gorry, Gory, or Gorrie. In Scotland, the surname took the form of Gorie or Gorrie.
One of the most famous individuals with the GOREE surname was Sir Edmund Goree (1582-1657), an English naval officer and explorer who commanded several expeditions to the West Indies and the Americas during the early 17th century. He played a significant role in establishing English settlements in the Caribbean.
Another notable figure was John Goree (1701-1778), a French-born military officer who served in the British Army and became the first lieutenant governor of Grenada after the island was captured by the British in 1762.
Closer to modern times, Joseph Goree (1809-1885) was an American soldier and surveyor who served in the Texas Revolution and later became a prominent figure in the early days of the Republic of Texas.
Throughout its history, the GOREE surname has been associated with various professions, including military service, exploration, and land ownership. Its origins can be traced back to medieval France, where it likely emerged as an occupational name related to hunting or warfare.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goree
Among Census respondents with the surname Goree, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goree 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 Goree surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.6% · 1,659
- White31.7% · 929
- Two or more races6.3% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goree
Goree 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
#10,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,081
+270 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 38 places
2020
#10,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,929
-152 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,478 | 2,811 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,440 | 3,081 | 1.04 | +270 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 38 places |
| 2020 | #10,461 | 2,929 | 0.98 | -152 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 21 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 Goree 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 | #10,440 | #10,461 | -0.2% |
| Count | 3,081 | 2,929 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.98 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goree bearers went from 3,081 to 2,929 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,440 to #10,461.
FAQ
Goree surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goree?
Name Census estimates that about 3,359 living Americans carry the surname Goree. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,041 residents.
How common is Goree?
Goree ranks #10,461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,929 people with the surname Goree. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Goree.
Has Goree become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goree went from 3,081 recorded bearers to 2,929. That is a decrease of 152 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,440 to #10,461.
What does the Census say about the background of Goree?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goree, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.7%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goree in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.6% (1,659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goree appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.6%), White (31.7%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Goree (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 Goree mean?
Derived from a place name in Senegal, likely referring to an ancestor's origin or association with the island. 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 Goree (0.98 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 have the surname Goree?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.