2000
#1,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.44
Uncommon Last name
Goss
An English occupational surname referring to someone who gossiped or told stories, derived from the Middle English "gos."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,918 Americans carry the last name Goss. That puts it at #1,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goss 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Goss with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,853
Census rank
#1,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,218 bearers of the surname Goss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goss, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goss
The surname Goss has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gors," meaning a marsh or swampy area. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near or in a marshy region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goss can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk, dating back to 1275. This record lists a certain "Willelmus Gors," indicating the presence of the surname in medieval England.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Gorse, Gorsse, and Goss, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. The Goss surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Devon, where several notable individuals bearing this name emerged.
One noteworthy individual was Sir John Goss (c. 1538-1627), a member of the English gentry and a prominent landowner in Devon. He served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed High Sheriff of Devon in 1599.
Another notable figure was John Goss (1800-1880), a distinguished English organist and composer. Born in Fareham, Hampshire, he composed numerous sacred works, including oratorios and anthems, and served as an organist at several prestigious churches in London.
The surname Goss can also be traced back to the village of Goss, located in the county of Wiltshire. This place name likely originated from the Old English word "goers," meaning a triangular piece of land or a wedge-shaped area.
In the 17th century, the name Goss appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of Devon and Somerset, further solidifying its presence in these regions.
Another notable figure bearing the Goss surname was Sir John Goss (1758-1838), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.
The Goss surname has also been associated with other notable individuals throughout history, including William Goss (1838-1885), an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, and Robert Goss (1888-1957), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goss
Among Census respondents with the surname Goss, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Goss 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 Goss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 19,643
- Black or African American13.5% · 3,409
- Two or more races3.8% · 962
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 886
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 167
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 151
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goss
Goss 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
#1,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,179
+715 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 8.87
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#1,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,218
-961 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 8.44
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,266 | 25,464 | 9.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,349 | 26,179 | 8.87 | +715 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #1,380 | 25,218 | 8.44 | -961 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 31 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 Goss 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 | #1,349 | #1,380 | -2.3% |
| Count | 26,179 | 25,218 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 8.87 | 8.44 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goss bearers went from 26,179 to 25,218 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,349 to #1,380.
FAQ
Goss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goss?
Name Census estimates that about 28,918 living Americans carry the surname Goss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,853 residents.
How common is Goss?
Goss ranks #1,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,218 people with the surname Goss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,918), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Goss.
Has Goss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goss went from 26,179 recorded bearers to 25,218. That is a decrease of 961 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,349 to #1,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Goss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goss, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Goss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (19,643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (13.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Goss (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 Goss mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who gossiped or told stories, derived from the Middle English "gos." 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 Goss (8.44 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 Goss?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.