Find out how popular the last name Gossett is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gossett.

Gossett, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gossett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gossett in America

Gossett is the 3170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gossett surname appeared 11,389 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Gossett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gossett to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gossett

The surname Gossett is derived from the Old English word "gos" meaning a goose, and the diminutive suffix "-et", meaning little or young. Originally a nickname referring to someone with some perceived trait reminiscent of a goose, such as a waddling gait or loud voice.

The name first appeared in records from the county of Cheshire in England during the 13th century. An early recorded instance is that of Roger Gosset, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1287.

By the late medieval period, the surname had spread across other parts of northern England and into Scotland. The Gossetts were an established family in Lancashire, where they held estates near Blackburn and Burnley from the 15th century onwards.

Instances of the name appear in the Register of the Priory of Wetherhal in Cumberland in the early 1500s, with references to a John Gosset and Roger Gosset. Around this time, variants like Gossite, Gossyt, and Goscett also emerged.

One of the earliest known bearers was William Gossett, born around 1480 in Chorley, Lancashire. He served as a soldier under King Henry VIII and fought in the Battle of Flodden in 1513 against the Scots.

The Gossetts of Rivington near Chorley gained prominence over several generations, with Edmund Gossett (1587-1649) being a landed gentleman and supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.

Over the centuries, several spelling variations developed, including Gosset, Gossite, Goscett, Gossitt, and Gossat. Branches of the family eventually migrated to Ireland, particularly County Antrim, from the 17th century onwards.

A notable bearer was Thomas Gossett (1765-1857), an Anglican priest from Yorkshire who became the Dean of Raphoe Cathedral in Ireland. Meanwhile, Edward Gossett (1796-1868) was a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later colonial campaigns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gossett

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gossett.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gossett was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gossett has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gossett was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gossett, please contact us.

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