2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Goughler
An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English occupation of "gouhghier" or messenger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Goughler. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goughler 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Goughler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goughler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goughler
The surname Goughler is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Gockel," which means "rooster" or "cock." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who had a resemblance to a rooster, perhaps in their appearance or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Goughler surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1587. The entry mentions a Johann Goughler, who was a farmer in the region. Another early mention of the name is in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Cologne, where a Hildegard Goughler was listed in 1603.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some of the early alternative spellings included Gochler, Gockler, and Gockelauer. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the late 17th century, the Goughler name appears to have made its way into Switzerland, with records showing a family by that name residing in the canton of Basel. One notable figure from this Swiss branch was Hans Goughler (1642-1712), a respected clockmaker and watchmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by affluent patrons.
As the centuries progressed, the Goughler name continued to spread across Europe, with some members of the family emigrating to other parts of the world. In the early 19th century, a Jakob Goughler (1785-1867) from Bavaria settled in the United States, where he established a successful brewing business in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Goughler surname was Gertrude Goughler (1876-1952), a German-born artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her intricate woodcut prints depicting scenes from German folklore and rural life.
While the Goughler name may have originated from a humble nickname, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout its history, including farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and artists, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of several regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goughler
Among Census respondents with the surname Goughler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Goughler 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 Goughler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goughler
Goughler 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,862 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-20 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,591 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 5,862 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 18,591 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 Goughler 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 | #133,048 | #151,639 | -14.0% |
| Count | 127 | 107 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goughler bearers went from 127 to 107 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 18,591 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #151,639.
FAQ
Goughler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goughler?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Goughler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Goughler?
Goughler ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Goughler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Goughler.
Has Goughler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goughler went from 127 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Goughler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goughler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Goughler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goughler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Goughler (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 Goughler mean?
An Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the Old English occupation of "gouhghier" or messenger. 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 Goughler (0.04 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 common is the surname Goughler?
Want to know how common the surname Goughler is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.