2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Goschke
A surname of German origin meaning "landowner" or "estate owner".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Goschke. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goschke 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Goschke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goschke
The surname Goschke originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century, derived from the German word "Gosche," which referred to a specific type of agricultural tool used for tilling the soil.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or locations. In this case, it is believed that the name Goschke was initially given to individuals who worked as farmers or agricultural laborers, utilizing the "Gosche" tool in their daily tasks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goschke can be found in the archives of the town of Rostock, dating back to the late 16th century. The records mention a certain Hans Goschke, a farmer who lived in the outskirts of the town.
As the name spread throughout northern Germany, various spelling variations emerged, such as Goschky, Goscke, and Goschenk. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Goschke include Johann Christoph Goschke (1679-1743), a German theologian and author known for his works on Christian ethics and morality. Another notable figure was Wilhelm Goschke (1808-1881), a Prussian military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent writer and historian.
In the 19th century, the name Goschke was particularly prevalent in the regions of Mecklenburg and Brandenburg. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Karl Goschke (1847-1924), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, the German parliament.
As migrations occurred throughout Europe, the name Goschke spread to other countries, albeit in smaller numbers. For instance, there are records of individuals with this surname in neighboring Poland, as well as in the United States, where German immigrants settled in various parts of the country.
While the surname Goschke may not be as widely recognized as some other German surnames, it holds a rich history rooted in the agricultural traditions of northern Germany, reflecting the occupations and lifestyles of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goschke
Among Census respondents with the surname Goschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Goschke 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 Goschke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goschke
Goschke 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,820 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 18,820 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 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 Goschke 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 | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goschke bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Goschke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goschke?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Goschke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Goschke?
Goschke ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Goschke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Goschke.
Has Goschke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goschke went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Goschke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Goschke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goschke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Goschke (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 Goschke mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "landowner" or "estate owner". 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 Goschke (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 Goschke?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.