Explore the Family Name Goss
The meaning of Goss
English, German, and French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gozzo, Gauz (Middle English, Old French Gosse), short forms of compound names based on the element goz (from gaut, an ethnic name meaning ‘Geat’ or ‘Goth’), rarely also on the element gōd ‘good’ or god, got ‘god’. In Middle English Gosse was frequently used as a short form of the double diminutive Goscelin (see Joslin). Geats (Old English gēatas, Old Scandinavian gautar) were the Scandinavian people formerly occupying modern Götaland in Sweden, their name being closely related to that of the Goths (Old English gotan, Old Scandinavian gotar). Both ethnic names are presumably derived from a Proto-Germanic word meaning ‘to pour’. The relationship between Geats and Goths is controversial and in the name elements the two ethnicities are not always distinguishable. This surname is rare in France, where the common form is Gosse.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Goss in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Goss" has experienced slight fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, this surname ranked 1266 in terms of popularity and had a count of 25,464 occurrences. By 2010, although the rank fell to 1349, reflecting a decrease of 6.56%, the actual count of individuals carrying the Goss surname increased by 2.81% to 26,179. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased from 9.44 in 2000 to 8.87 in 2010, showing a decline of 6.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,266 | #1,349 | -6.56% |
| Count | 25,464 | 26,179 | 2.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.44 | 8.87 | -6.04% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goss
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of people with the Goss surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, though there was a slight decrease from 82.56% to 80.46%. Notably, there was an increase in people of Hispanic ethnicity holding the Goss surname, rising from 1.39% to 2.45%. Additionally, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw a significant increase of 57.14%, though they still make up a small portion of the total. There were minor increases in the percentages of people identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native. Those identifying with two or more races also slightly increased from 1.41% to 1.74% over the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.56% | 80.46% | -2.54% |
| Black | 13.68% | 14.15% | 3.44% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.45% | 76.26% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.74% | 23.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.76% | 10.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.44% | 57.14% |
Goss 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 Goss is British & Irish, which comprises 54.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.7%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.8% |
| French & German | 24.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 16.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Goss
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 Goss have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
What Goss 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 Goss is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-CTS6433 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Burke, Backus, Bernard, Vickers, Swift, Herr, Benoit, Burk, Potts, Sides.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Goss surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Goss 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.
"Goss" Surname 44.7%
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.
"Goss" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Goss" Surname 19.5%
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.
"Goss" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Goss?
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 Goss are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition