2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goshu
An East Indian surname possibly referring to one's lineage or caste group.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 216 Americans carry the last name Goshu. That puts it at #102,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,586,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goshu 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
216
1 in 1,586,826
Census rank
#102,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
188
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 188 bearers of the surname Goshu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goshu
The surname GOSHU originates from the Orissa region of eastern India, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "gosha," which means "chamber" or "inner room," potentially referring to an occupation or location associated with the ancestors of this lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOSHU name can be found in the Madala Panji, a chronicle of the Gajapati dynasty of Odisha, which mentions a "Goshu Patra" as a prominent figure in the court during the reign of King Kapilendradeva in the late 15th century.
The GOSHU surname is also mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which documented the administrative and revenue systems of the empire. This record suggests that the GOSHU family held significant land holdings and positions of authority in the Orissa region during that time.
Notable individuals bearing the GOSHU surname include Jagannath Goshu (1745-1823), a renowned scholar and poet from Odisha who contributed significantly to the literary tradition of the region. His works, such as the epic poem "Govinda Chandrika," are considered masterpieces of Odia literature.
Another prominent figure was Radhanath Goshu (1856-1932), a social reformer and educator who played a crucial role in the establishment of several educational institutions in Odisha, including the Ravenshaw Collegiate School in Cuttack.
In the realm of politics, Baidyanath Goshu (1879-1952) was a prominent figure who served as a member of the Orissa Legislative Council and actively participated in the Indian independence movement.
Trailokyanath Goshu (1884-1962) was a distinguished scholar and linguist, known for his extensive research and publications on the Odia language and literature, including a comprehensive dictionary of the Odia language.
Lastly, Binode Behari Goshu (1908-1985) was a renowned artist and painter who gained recognition for his unique style and contributions to the art scene in Odisha, particularly his depictions of rural life and landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goshu
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Goshu 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 Goshu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.7% · 178
- Two or more races2.1% · 4
- White1.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goshu
Goshu appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#102,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
+82 bearers (+77.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 51,605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #102,164 | 188 | 0.06 | +82 bearers (+77.4%) | Up 51,605 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 Goshu 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 | #153,769 | #102,164 | 33.6% |
| Count | 106 | 188 | 77.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 57.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goshu bearers went from 106 to 188 (+77.4% change). The surname moved up 51,605 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #102,164.
FAQ
Goshu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goshu?
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the surname Goshu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,586,826 residents.
How common is Goshu?
Goshu ranks #102,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 188 people with the surname Goshu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Goshu.
Has Goshu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goshu went from 106 recorded bearers to 188. That is an increase of 82 (+77.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #102,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Goshu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goshu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goshu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (178 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goshu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%), White (1.6%). 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 Goshu (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 Goshu mean?
An East Indian surname possibly referring to one's lineage or caste group. 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 Goshu (0.06 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 Goshu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.