Explore the Family Name Gooch
The meaning of Gooch
1. English (East Anglia): from the rare Middle English personal name Goche (also found as Joche). It was current in East Anglia from the early 12th to the early 13th centuries as a variant of Anglo-Norman French Go(s)ce, Jo(s)ce, a pet form of Old French Goscelin. 2. English: alternatively, a nickname from Anglo-Norman French gouge (from Latin gobio), the nominative form of Old French goujon (from Latin gobionem) ‘gudgeon’, perhaps for a gullible person. 3. Welsh: in southwestern England, possibly an Anglicized form of Welsh coch, goch ‘red (haired)’, though the sound change is irregular. Compare Gough. It may also be a variant of Cornish and Welsh Couch, with the same meaning. 4. Americanized form of German Gutsch. History: Several bearers of the name Gooch came from England to VA in the 17th century, with family tradition placing them in a town called Goochland. The best known of these early immigrants was VA colonial governor Sir William Gooch (1681–1751).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gooch in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gooch saw a decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it occupied the 2,984th rank and slipped to the 3,155th position in 2010, marking a 5.73% drop. However, the total count of people with this surname increased by 3.12%, with 11,107 instances in 2000 and 11,453 in 2010. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also showed a slight decrease from 4.12 in 2000 to 3.88 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,984 | #3,155 | -5.73% |
| Count | 11,107 | 11,453 | 3.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.12 | 3.88 | -5.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gooch
When considering the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gooch, shifts were noted between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. There was an increase in individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander by 76%, and those identifying with two or more races by 32.06%. Similarly, a rise was observed among Hispanics by 55.73% and American Indian and Alaskan Natives by 26.83%. In contrast, there was a marginal increase of 2.63% in the Black community, while the White community saw a decrease of 2.76% in the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.46% | 75.32% | -2.76% |
| Black | 19.01% | 19.51% | 2.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.31% | 2.04% | 55.73% |
| Two or More Races | 1.31% | 1.73% | 32.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.88% | 76% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0.52% | 26.83% |
Gooch 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 Gooch is British & Irish, which comprises 62.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.9%) and Scandinavian (3.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 62.2% |
| French & German | 19.9% |
| Scandinavian | 3.0% |
| Other | 14.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Gooch
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 Gooch have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.70% |
What Gooch 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 Gooch is R-DF88, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF88 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pack, Gifford, Rockwell, Tibbetts, Boren, Culbertson, Parsley, Wylie, Gaither, Congdon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gooch surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Gooch 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.
"Gooch" Surname 50.0%
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.
"Gooch" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gooch" Surname 25.3%
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.
"Gooch" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gooch?
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 Gooch are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition