Explore the Family Name Go
The meaning of Go
1. Japanese (Gō): variously written; the most common form 郷 means ‘village’; another 江 means ‘inlet’. This surname is found in eastern Japan and on the Ryūkyūan island of Amami. If the name is Go with a short vowel, it could be the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese name Wu. 2. Chinese: alternative Teochew form of the surname 吴, see Wu 1. This pronunciation is found in eastern Guangdong province, from where some people migrated to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and other parts of Southeast Asia. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 伍, possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien or Taiwanese pronunciation, see Wu 2. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 高, possibly based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Gao 1. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 敖, possibly based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Ao. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 郭, see Guo 1. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Ramon, Rolando, Jose, Bienvenido, Corazon, Cristina, Elena, Eleuterio, Estrellita, Jaime, Simplicio, Adolfo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Go in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Go' has seen significant growth between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, 'Go' was ranked as the 9716th most popular surname in the U.S., but by 2010 it had risen to the 7607th position, marking a 21.71% increase in popularity. The count of individuals with the surname also rose from 3068 to 4370 during this period, signifying a substantial 42.44% increase. Furthermore, the proportion of 'Go' per 100K population also grew from 1.14 to 1.48, registering a rise of 29.82%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,716 | #7,607 | 21.71% |
| Count | 3,068 | 4,370 | 42.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.14 | 1.48 | 29.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Go
Delving into the ethnicity breakdown, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of those with the surname 'Go' identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for 86.61% of the total in 2010, down slightly from 87.74% in 2000. The second largest ethnic group is White, which increased marginally from 5.87% in 2000 to 6.18% in 2010. Individuals identifying as two or more races held steady at around 3.55%, while the Hispanic group saw a significant increase from 1.89% in 2000 to 3.09% in 2010. The Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native groups registered no representation in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 87.74% | 86.61% | -1.29% |
| White | 5.87% | 6.18% | 5.28% |
| Two or More Races | 3.68% | 3.55% | -3.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.89% | 3.09% | 63.49% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Go ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Go is Chinese, which comprises 51.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Filipino & Austronesian (21.2%) and Korean (5.3%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, French & German, and Chinese Dai.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 51.4% |
| Filipino & Austronesian | 21.2% |
| Korean | 5.3% |
| Other | 22.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Go
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Go have recent ancestry locations in China and the Philippines.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 64.10% |
| Fujian, China | 62.70% |
| Zhejiang, China | 61.40% |
| Shanghai, China | 60.10% |
| Shandong, China | 60.10% |
What Go haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Go is O-F11, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F11 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-CTS201 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kao, Ko, He, Song, Cao, Chou, Du, Wu, Chu, Tu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Go surname are: M, B4c1b2, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Go have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Go" Surname 38.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Go" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Go" Surname 13.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Go" Surname 11.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Go?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Go are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition