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

Gough, 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 Gough surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gough in America

Gough is the 4132nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gough surname appeared 8,584 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gough.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gough 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 Gough

The surname Gough is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh personal name Coch, meaning "red" or "ruddy". It likely originated as a nickname for someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. The name is thought to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century in Wales.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Gough can be found in medieval Welsh records and manuscripts. One notable example is Rhys Goch, a 14th-century Welsh military leader who fought alongside Owain Glyndwr during the Welsh Revolt against English rule.

The name Gough has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Gough's Wood in Monmouthshire and Gough's Castle in Pembrokeshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Gough who lived or owned property in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gough was John Gough (c. 1490-1558), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another notable figure was Sir Henry Gough (1619-1689), a Welsh soldier and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John Gough (1721-1791) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author, known for his theological writings and his advocacy for religious freedom. Later, in the 19th century, Lord Hugh Gough (1779-1869) was a prominent British military commander who served in the Peninsular War and the First Anglo-Sikh War.

Another individual of note was Sir Hubert Gough (1870-1963), a British Army officer who commanded the Fifth Army during World War I and later served as the Director-General of the Territorial Army. Lastly, John Gough (1935-2022) was a British actor known for his role as the butler Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman film series.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Gough, demonstrating its Welsh origins and its presence across various fields and historical contexts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gough

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

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

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

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