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Gou Family History

Gou Name Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 苟 meaning ‘careless’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of the legendary Huang Di or ‘the Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) from the placename Gou (苟) the name of a fief granted to an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Xun (荀) by an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) in order to escape from persecution. (iv) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Gou (句) during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Song (1107–1187 AD) since the surname happened to share similar pronunciation with the personal name of the emperor which was taboo in ancient China. (v) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Jing (敬) during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin (892–942 AD) since the surname happened to be part of the personal name of the emperor (whose personal name was Jingtang 敬塘) which was taboo in ancient China. (vi) adopted as the surname by the Ruo Gan (若干) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 勾 (or written as 句) said to be traced back to the post-name Gou Mang (勾芒 or 句芒) an official title of Chong son of the legendary king Shao Hao (c. 26th century BC). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 緱: (i) said to be borne by the descendants of Zong Jing a grandson of King Ling of Zhou (died 545 BC). (ii) possibly from the placename Gou (緱) the name of a fief (located in Henan province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (iii) adopted by the Ke Hou (渴侯) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 芶: (i) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Gou (勾) which shared a similar pronunciation with the personal name of Emperor Gaozong of Song (1107–1187 AD) a taboo in ancient China. (ii) possibly interchangeable with another surname 苟 in ancient China. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 郭 see Guo Catalan: from the medieval ancient Germanic personal name Gaud or Gauto.

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


Similar surnames: Gu, You, Ou, Goy, Lou, Kou, Go, Mou, Zou, Hou

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Where is the Gou family from?

You can see how Gou families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gou family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gou families were found in USA in 1880. In 1841 there was 1 Gou family living in Lanarkshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Gou's in Scotland. Lanarkshire had the highest population of Gou families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gou surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1841
  • 1851
  • 1871
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What did your Gou ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and House Keeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gou. 60% of Gou men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Gou women worked as a House Keeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gou were Clerk and Stenographer. .

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*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

  • Farmer
    60%
  • Clerk
    40%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • House Keeper
    50%
  • Stenographer
    50%
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What Gou family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 993 census records available for the last name Gou. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gou census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gou

Passenger Lists

There are 408 immigration records available for the last name Gou. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Gou. For the veterans among your Gou ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gou lifespan?

Between 1972 and 1999, in the United States, Gou life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1983, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Gou in 1972 was 76, and 88 in 1999.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gou

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