2000
#17,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Goucher
An occupational surname derived from the Old French "gouchier" meaning one who squints or is cross-eyed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,505 Americans carry the last name Goucher. That puts it at #20,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 227,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goucher 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 Goucher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 227,744
Census rank
#20,452
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,312 bearers of the surname Goucher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goucher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goucher
The surname Goucher is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gocer," which referred to a tax collector or rent gatherer. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Godcher in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166.
The Goucher name was primarily found in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as tax collectors or rent gatherers for landowners or the local nobility.
In the 13th century, there are references to a Richard Gouchere in the Feet of Fines records for Suffolk in 1248. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a John Gouchere from Norfolk. These early records provide evidence of the name's existence and its association with the region of East Anglia.
By the 14th century, the surname had evolved to its more modern spelling of "Goucher." In the Poll Tax Returns of 1381, there are entries for a John Gouchere and a William Gouchere, both from Norfolk. This document, which recorded taxpayers during the reign of Richard II, is a valuable source for tracing the name's development and distribution.
One notable individual with the Goucher surname was Thomas Goucher (c. 1590-1669), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Swinstead in Lincolnshire. He published several religious works during his lifetime, including "The Principles of the Christian Religion Explained" in 1660.
In the 17th century, the Goucher name also appeared in records from the American colonies. One of the earliest instances is that of John Goucher, who settled in Virginia in 1635. His descendants helped establish the Goucher family in the United States.
Another prominent figure was John Goucher (1835-1892), an American businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. He co-founded the Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, which was named in his honor and remains a prestigious liberal arts institution to this day.
Throughout history, the Goucher surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including clergy, authors, businessmen, and educators. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural influences that have shaped its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goucher
Among Census respondents with the surname Goucher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Goucher 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 Goucher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,215
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 50
- Two or more races2.7% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goucher
Goucher 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
#18,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,491
+46 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 652 places
2020
#20,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,312
-179 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 1,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,859 | 1,445 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,511 | 1,491 | 0.51 | +46 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 652 places |
| 2020 | #20,452 | 1,312 | 0.44 | -179 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 1,941 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 Goucher 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 | #18,511 | #20,452 | -10.5% |
| Count | 1,491 | 1,312 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.44 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goucher bearers went from 1,491 to 1,312 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 1,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,511 to #20,452.
FAQ
Goucher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goucher?
Name Census estimates that about 1,505 living Americans carry the surname Goucher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 227,744 residents.
How common is Goucher?
Goucher ranks #20,452 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,312 people with the surname Goucher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,505), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Goucher.
Has Goucher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goucher went from 1,491 recorded bearers to 1,312. That is a decrease of 179 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,511 to #20,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Goucher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goucher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Goucher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,215 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goucher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Goucher (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 Goucher mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old French "gouchier" meaning one who squints or is cross-eyed. 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 Goucher (0.44 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 last name Goucher?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Goucher, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.