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Goethals Family History

Goethals Surname Meaning

Flemish: nickname for a kindly person from goed ‘good’ + hals ‘neck’ a cognate of Goodhart.

Presumably resulted from a folketymological reinterpretation of Goedale, a metonymic occupational name for a brewer from goed ‘good’ + ale ‘ale’.

A cognate of English Goodall.

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


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Where is the Goethals family from?

You can see how Goethals families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goethals family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Goethals families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Goethals family living in Lancashire. This was 100% of all the recorded Goethals's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Goethals families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goethals 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 Goethals ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Goethals. 40% of Goethals men worked as a Laborer and 38% of Goethals women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goethals were Proprietor and Maid.

View Census Data for Goethals | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Proprietor
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    38%
  • Stenographer
    38%
  • Maid
    25%

What Goethals family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Goethals. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goethals census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Goethals

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Goethals. 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 Goethals immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 600 military records available for the last name Goethals. For the veterans among your Goethals ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Goethals military records

You've only scratched the surface of Goethals family history

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What is the average Goethals lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Goethals life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Goethals in 1964 was 77, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Goethals

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Goethals 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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