Goswami last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Goswami

A surname referring to a Hindu priest or teacher from Bengal.

Goswami, 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 Goswami surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goswami in America

Goswami is the 20829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goswami surname appeared 1,267 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Goswami.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goswami 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 20829 34114 -48.36%
Count 1,267 629 67.30%
Proportion per 100k 0.43 0.23 60.61%

The history of the last name Goswami

The surname "GOSWAMI" originated in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the regions of Bengal and Assam. It has its roots in Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "go" meaning "cow" and "swami" meaning "lord" or "master."

Historically, the Goswami surname was associated with Brahmin scholars, priests, and spiritual leaders who were revered for their knowledge and teachings. It was a title bestowed upon those who had attained a high level of spiritual and intellectual achievement. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th and 16th centuries, during the time of the Bhakti movement in India.

One of the earliest and most notable figures with the Goswami surname was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), a Hindu mystic and a key figure in the Bhakti movement. He was considered an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Krishna and played a significant role in spreading the teachings of Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism focused on the worship of Lord Vishnu.

Another important figure was Jiva Goswami (1513-1598), a renowned scholar and a close associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote extensively on Vaishnava philosophy and established the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which continues to be influential in modern Hinduism.

In the 16th century, the Goswami surname was also associated with the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, a group of scholars and devotees who played a crucial role in establishing the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition and preserving the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Another notable figure was Rupa Goswami (1489-1564), one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan. He was a renowned poet, philosopher, and a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement. His works, such as the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, are considered significant contributions to the Vaishnava literature.

Sanatana Goswami (1488-1558), the elder brother of Rupa Goswami, was also one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his works on Vaishnava philosophy and devotional poetry.

Over the centuries, the Goswami surname has been associated with scholars, spiritual leaders, and intellectuals in various parts of India, particularly in the regions of Bengal, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh. It continues to hold a respected status within the Hindu community, reflecting its historical connections to spiritual and intellectual pursuits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goswami

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

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 Goswami was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.53% 32
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.55% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 94.00% 1,191
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.45% 31
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Goswami has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.53% 2.70% -6.50%
Black 0.55% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 94.00% 93.00% 1.07%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.45% 3.97% -47.35%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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 Goswami was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Goswami last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/goswami-surname-popularity/.

"Goswami last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/goswami-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 November, 2024

Goswami last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/goswami-surname-popularity/.

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