2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goshea
A Spanish surname derived from "goche", meaning billy goat or male goat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Goshea. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goshea 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Goshea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goshea
The surname GOSHEA has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Síodhacháin," which roughly translates to "descendant of the peaceful one." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon an individual known for their peaceful demeanor or diplomatic nature.
GOSHEA is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname Sheehan or O'Sheehan, which is derived from the same Gaelic roots. The name can be found in several historical records, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the GOSHEA name was Seán Ó Síodhacháin, a scholar and poet who lived in County Cork in the late 13th century. His works, though largely lost to time, were reportedly highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the GOSHEA name appeared in the Fiants, a series of royal letters and decrees issued by the English Crown in Ireland. These records mention a Dermot Goshea, who was granted lands in County Waterford in 1587.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a notable figure named Donnchadh GOSHEA played a role in the uprising against English rule. He was a member of the Confederate Catholic Association, a group that sought to secure religious freedom and autonomy for Ireland's Catholic population.
In the 18th century, a man named Risteárd GOSHEA gained recognition as a skilled silversmith in County Cork. His intricate metalwork pieces were highly prized by the local gentry and can still be found in various collections and museums today.
Another prominent bearer of the GOSHEA name was Séamus GOSHEA, a 19th-century Irish nationalist and journalist who advocated for Irish independence from British rule. He served as the editor of several influential newspapers and was instrumental in spreading republican ideals throughout Ireland.
While the GOSHEA surname may not be as common today as its Sheehan counterpart, it remains a proud part of Ireland's rich cultural heritage, with a rich history dating back centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goshea
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Goshea 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 Goshea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.7% · 53
- Black or African American45.9% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goshea
Goshea 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
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,404 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,404 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,445 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 Goshea 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 | #148,665 | -2.4% |
| Count | 114 | 111 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goshea bearers went from 114 to 111 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #148,665.
FAQ
Goshea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goshea?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Goshea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Goshea?
Goshea ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Goshea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Goshea.
Has Goshea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goshea went from 114 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Goshea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Goshea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.7% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goshea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.7%), Black (45.9%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Goshea (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 Goshea mean?
A Spanish surname derived from "goche", meaning billy goat or male goat. 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 Goshea (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 common is the surname Goshea?
See how common the surname Goshea is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.