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

Gov, 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 Gov surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gov in America

Gov is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gov surname appeared 236 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 Gov.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gov 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 Gov

The surname GOV originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "gof," which meant "rustic" or "peasant." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who came from a rural or agricultural background.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOV can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Goff." This entry refers to a landowner named Goff who held property in the county of Essex.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into its modern spelling of "GOV." Records from this period show that the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Hertfordshire, Essex, and Suffolk.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was John GOV, a wealthy merchant from the city of London who was involved in the wool trade. He was born around 1320 and died in 1389.

Another prominent figure with the surname GOV was Sir William GOV, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War in 1415. He was born in Essex around 1380 and died in 1450.

During the Tudor period, the name GOV was associated with several place names in Essex, such as Goveshall and Govestrete (now known as Gosfield and Gosforth respectively).

In the 17th century, a distinguished member of the GOV family was Richard GOV, a scholar and mathematician who was born in Hertfordshire in 1635. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1672.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname GOV was Elizabeth GOV, a prominent Quaker who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She was born in Essex in 1670 and was known for her writings on religious topics and her advocacy for women's rights.

Throughout history, the surname GOV has been associated with various professions, including farming, trade, military service, and academia. While its origins can be traced back to rural England, the name has since spread across the country and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gov

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

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

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

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