Explore the Family Name Gothard

The meaning of Gothard

1. English: variant of Goddard. 2. English: occupational name for a keeper of goats, from Middle English gotherde (Old English gāt ‘goat’ + hierde) ‘herdsman, keeper’. 3. English: variant of Goater, with excrescent -d, either a topographic name for someone who lived by a stream or ditch, from Middle English gote ‘watercourse’ + the agent suffix -(e)r, or an occupational name either from Middle English gotherde ‘goatherd’ or from Middle English goter ‘goatherd’, an agent derivative of Middle English got(e) ‘goat’ (Old English gāt). 4. Americanized form of German Gotthardt.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gothard slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 14,243 in popularity with a count of 1,933, or 0.72 per 100,000 people in the United States. However, by 2010 its rank had fallen to 15,296, with a count of 1,919, or 0.65 per 100,000 people – a decrease of 7.39% in rank and 0.72% in count.

20002010Change
Rank#14,243#15,296-7.39%
Count1,9331,919-0.72%
Proportion per 100k0.720.65-9.72%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gothard

Regarding ethnic identity, the majority of individuals with the surname Gothard identified as White in both the 2000 and 2010 censuses. However, the percentage dropped from 92.96% in 2000 to 89% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Black increased from 3.67% to 5.16% over the same period. There was also a noticeable increase in the percentage of those identifying with two or more races, from 1.55% to 3.13%. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.09% to 1.98%. In 2010, the census included categories for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native, both coming in at 0.36%. No data was provided for these categories in 2000. This data from the Decennial U.S. Census illustrates the diversity within the Gothard surname group.

20002010Change
White92.96%89%-4.26%
Black3.67%5.16%40.6%
Two or More Races1.55%3.13%101.94%
Hispanic1.09%1.98%81.65%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.36%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.36%0%