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Goss Family History

Goss Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Goss family from?

You can see how Goss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Goss families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 453 Goss families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Goss's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Goss families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goss surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Goss ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Goss. 11% of Goss men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Goss women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goss were Incapacitated and Private Means.

View Census Data for Goss | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Goss family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 151,000 census records available for the last name Goss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Goss

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Goss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Goss immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Goss. For the veterans among your Goss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Goss military records

You've only scratched the surface of Goss family history

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What is the average Goss lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Goss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Goss in 1940 was 52, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Goss

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Goss ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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