2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Goure
Possibly of French origin, referring to someone from the town of Goure or Gour.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Goure. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goure 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Goure in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goure, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goure
The surname GOURE has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gour," which means "muddy pool" or "swamp." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in a swampy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOURE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Gour" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname GOURE was Renaud Goure, a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy. He was born around 1220 and played a significant role in the local economy and politics of the time.
During the 15th century, the name GOURE gained recognition in the region of Picardy, where a family of that surname owned and operated a successful textile business. One of the most renowned members of this family was Jean Goure, born in 1472, who served as a respected adviser to the local nobility.
In the 17th century, the GOURE surname was found in the records of the French settlements in North America, particularly in the region of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia and parts of Quebec). Among the early settlers was Michel Goure, who arrived in Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) in 1632 and established a prosperous farming community.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname GOURE was Étienne Goure, a French military officer born in 1712. He served in the French Army during the Seven Years' War and played a crucial role in the defense of the French colonies in the Caribbean.
As the GOURE surname spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Gour, Goure, Goures, and Gourre. However, the original pronunciation and meaning remained largely intact, reflecting the name's connection to swampy or marshy areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goure
Among Census respondents with the surname Goure, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Goure 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 Goure surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 92
- Black or African American5.5% · 6
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goure
Goure 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-25 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,097 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 29,097 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 4,985 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 Goure 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 | #145,220 | #150,205 | -3.4% |
| Count | 114 | 109 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goure bearers went from 114 to 109 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 4,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,205.
FAQ
Goure surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goure?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Goure. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Goure?
Goure ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Goure. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Goure.
Has Goure become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goure went from 114 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Goure?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goure, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Goure in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goure appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (5.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Goure (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 Goure mean?
Possibly of French origin, referring to someone from the town of Goure or Gour. 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 Goure (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 many people have the surname Goure?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.