Explore the Family Name Gosselin

The meaning of Gosselin

French: from the Old French personal name Goscelin, Gosselin, Joscelin, from ancient Germanic Goz(e)lin, a diminutive of a short form of compound names based on the element goz (from gaut, an ethnic name meaning ‘Geat’ or ‘Goth’; see Goss). Compare Gorsline and Goslin. History: Gabriel Gosselin from Combray in Calvados, France, married first Françoise Lelièvre in Quebec City, QC, in 1653, and second Louise Guillot in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans, QC, in 1677. François Gosselin from Longjumeau in Essonne, France, married Marie Babin in Lachenaie, QC, in 1748. — This surname is listed along with its rare altered form Gorseline in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors. Some characteristic forenames: French Gaston, Armand, Lucien, Benoit, Marcel, Normand, Andre, Laurent, Adrien, Aime, Alphonse, Germain.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gosselin in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gosselin has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5369th in terms of commonality among surnames and slipped down to 5681st in 2010, marking a decrease of 5.81%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 2.3% over the decade, rising from 5967 to 6104, but its proportion per 100,000 people fell by 6.33%, reflecting the growth of the overall population.

20002010Change
Rank#5,369#5,681-5.81%
Count5,9676,1042.3%
Proportion per 100k2.212.07-6.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gosselin

The ethnicity breakdown of the name Gosselin also offers some interesting observations based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. While a strong majority of individuals bearing this name identify as White (94.86% in 2010, down by 1.25% from 2000), there are also individuals who identify with other ethnic identities. The most significant changes were seen in the Black and Hispanic populations, which increased by 73.53% and 33.33%, respectively, although they still represent small fractions of the overall population with this surname. Other categories, such as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying as two or more races, also saw increases, while the percentage of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose by almost half.

20002010Change
White96.06%94.86%-1.25%
Hispanic1.83%2.44%33.33%
Two or More Races0.92%1.11%20.65%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.62%0.66%6.45%
Black0.34%0.59%73.53%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.23%0.34%47.83%

Gosselin 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 Gosselin is British & Irish, which comprises 40.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.4%) and Italian (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Chinese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish40.1%
French & German32.4%
Italian7.3%
Other20.2%
Gosselin

Possible origins of the surname Gosselin

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 Gosselin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom73.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom73.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom73.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom73.90%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom71.20%

What Gosselin 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 Gosselin is R-FGC22538, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-FGC22538 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Blackford, Tuggle, Wheaton, Tripp, Kidd, Shannon, Zuber, Wheeler, Toler, Norris.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gosselin surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

gosselinPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Gosselin 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

Gosselin

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Gosselin" Surname 44.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Gosselin

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Gosselin" Surname 18.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Gosselin

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Gosselin" Surname 19.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Gosselin

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Gosselin" Surname 13.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Gosselin?

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 Gosselin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%