Explore the Family Name Goforth
The meaning of Goforth
1. English (East Yorkshire): from the Middle English phrase go fair ‘travel safely’, later altered to Goforth, perhaps through confusion with Garforth. 2. In some cases probably also an Americanized form of German Goffart or of its very rare variant Goffarth: from a Lower Rhine variant of the personal name Gottfried.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Goforth in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Goforth showed a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 3777th in popularity among all surnames in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to 4068th. Despite this drop in rank, the count of people with the Goforth surname actually increased slightly from 8614 in 2000 to 8735 in 2010, an increase of 1.4%. The proportion per 100k people also decreased by about 7.21% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,777 | #4,068 | -7.7% |
| Count | 8,614 | 8,735 | 1.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.19 | 2.96 | -7.21% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goforth
In terms of ethnicity, the Goforth surname saw several changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest percentage change was seen in those identifying as Hispanic, which increased by 62.38%, followed by those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, which rose by 41.94%. The percentage of people with the Goforth surname who identified as belonging to two or more races experienced an increase of 26.03%. Those identifying as White made up the majority of people with the surname, although this percentage decreased slightly by 1.56%. The smallest changes were seen in individuals who identified themselves as Black (increase of 7.41%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (increase of 6.19%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.85% | 91.4% | -1.56% |
| Black | 3.24% | 3.48% | 7.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.84% | 26.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.01% | 1.64% | 62.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.13% | 1.2% | 6.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.44% | 41.94% |
Goforth 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 Goforth is British & Irish, which comprises 60.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.6%) and Italian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Chinese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.0% |
| French & German | 22.6% |
| Italian | 3.9% |
| Other | 13.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Goforth
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 Goforth have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
What Goforth 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 Goforth is J-L283, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L283 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include J-M241 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brinkley, Tallman, Vernon, Lamar, Beaver, Wimmer, Pabon, Bowles, Braithwaite, Bieber.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Goforth surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Goforth 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.
"Goforth" Surname 47.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Goforth" Surname 22.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Goforth" Surname 23.0%
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.
"Goforth" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Goforth?
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 Goforth are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition