NameCensus.

UK surname

Goff

A variant of Gough, likely referring to a person with a cleft palate or who spoke strangely.

In the 1881 census there were 1,932 people recorded with the Goff surname, ranking it #2,262 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,706, ranked #2,483, down from #2,262 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Poole St James and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mole Valley, Mid Devon and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goff is 2,813 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.1%.

1881 census count

1,932

Ranked #2,262

Modern count

2,706

2016, ranked #2,483

Peak year

1999

2,813 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goff had 1,932 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,262 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,706 in 2016, ranked #2,483.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,497 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goff surname distribution map

The map shows where the Goff surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Goff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goff over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,459 #1,968
1861 historical 1,265 #2,254
1881 historical 1,932 #2,262
1891 historical 2,126 #2,192
1901 historical 2,354 #2,305
1911 historical 2,497 #2,060
1997 modern 2,761 #2,324
1998 modern 2,806 #2,374
1999 modern 2,813 #2,385
2000 modern 2,812 #2,371
2001 modern 2,765 #2,369
2002 modern 2,797 #2,391
2003 modern 2,776 #2,363
2004 modern 2,795 #2,354
2005 modern 2,712 #2,382
2006 modern 2,711 #2,384
2007 modern 2,707 #2,410
2008 modern 2,710 #2,423
2009 modern 2,738 #2,442
2010 modern 2,797 #2,450
2011 modern 2,758 #2,452
2012 modern 2,702 #2,457
2013 modern 2,781 #2,440
2014 modern 2,779 #2,457
2015 modern 2,731 #2,469
2016 modern 2,706 #2,483

Geography

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Where Goffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Poole St James, St Pancras and Stockland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mole Valley, Mid Devon, Blaenau Gwent, Wycombe and West Dorset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Stockland Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mole Valley 011 Mole Valley
2 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon
3 Blaenau Gwent 009 Blaenau Gwent
4 Wycombe 004 Wycombe
5 West Dorset 003 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goff

These lists show first names that appear often with the Goff surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goff

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goff, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Goff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Goff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Goff is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goff is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goff falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Goff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Goff

The surname GOFF originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gof," which means "fork" or "outlet of a stream." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a fork in a river or stream.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for people with the surname GOFF or similar spellings, such as Goff, Gough, and Goffe. This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOFF is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1202, which mentions a person named William Goff. In the 13th century, there are records of a family with the surname GOFF residing in the parish of Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol.

Over the centuries, the GOFF name has been associated with various places in England, such as Goff's Oak in Hertfordshire and Goff's Park in Essex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname GOFF who lived in or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname GOFF include:

1. Thomas Goff (c. 1592 - 1629), an English writer and clergyman who authored several works on theology and philosophy. 2. Ebenezer Goff (1741 - 1821), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later served as a state legislator in New Hampshire. 3. Sir Nathan Goff (1843 - 1920), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy under President Rutherford B. Hayes. 4. Sir Bruce Goff (1904 - 1982), an influential American architect known for his organic and experimental designs, including the Bavinger House in Norman, Oklahoma. 5. Brendan Goff (born 1988), an Australian professional rugby league player who has played for several clubs, including the New Zealand Warriors and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

The surname GOFF has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in medieval England. Despite its long-standing presence, it has maintained a distinct identity and continues to be carried by individuals from various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goff surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 349 Goffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 349 1.85x
Surrey 205 2.23x
Yorkshire 123 0.66x
Norfolk 121 4.17x
Hampshire 113 2.92x
Devon 96 2.44x
Dorset 86 6.94x
Lancashire 84 0.38x
Essex 73 1.96x
Sussex 69 2.17x
Cheshire 59 1.42x
Berkshire 58 4.09x
Oxfordshire 50 4.29x
Warwickshire 48 1.01x
Northamptonshire 47 2.65x
Bedfordshire 42 4.30x
Kent 40 0.62x
Somerset 39 1.28x
Buckinghamshire 31 2.72x
Suffolk 28 1.22x
Lanarkshire 23 0.38x
Shropshire 17 1.04x
Lincolnshire 15 0.50x
Staffordshire 13 0.20x
Derbyshire 12 0.41x
Glamorgan 11 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.39x
Renfrewshire 9 0.62x
Ayrshire 8 0.57x
Herefordshire 8 1.03x
Worcestershire 7 0.28x
Cumberland 4 0.25x
Durham 4 0.07x
Gloucestershire 4 0.11x
Hertfordshire 4 0.31x
Leicestershire 3 0.14x
Northumberland 3 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.26x
Cornwall 2 0.09x
Midlothian 2 0.08x
Monmouthshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 0.89x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Berwickshire 1 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.08x
Channel Islands 1 0.18x
Denbighshire 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.17x
Perthshire 1 0.12x
Radnorshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 35 Goffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 35 1.91x
Camberwell 34 2.82x
St Marylebone London 32 3.18x
Poole St James 31 66.60x
Ecclesall Bierlow 30 7.89x
Shoreditch London 29 3.54x
Reading St Giles 27 19.42x
St Pancras London 26 1.71x
Birmingham 25 1.58x
Kentisbeare 25 462.11x
Liverpool 23 1.69x
Kensington London 22 2.10x
Cranfield 20 212.99x
Goring 20 300.30x
Southwark St George Martyr 19 5.00x
Beaconsfield 18 170.29x
Hackney London 18 1.70x
Reymerstone 18 918.37x
Wandsworth 18 9.91x
Docking 16 175.25x
Ilchester 16 362.81x
Hammersmith London 15 3.23x
Paddington London 15 2.16x
West Ham 15 1.82x
Widnes 15 9.29x
Heston 14 22.33x
Chichester St Pancras 13 136.70x
Harwich St Nicholas 13 45.17x
Lambeth 13 0.79x
Norwich St James 13 57.09x
Southampton St Mary 13 5.34x
Aston 12 0.92x
Hedsor 12 1200.00x
Morley 12 12.34x
Mundham 12 628.27x
St Martin In Fields 12 10.62x
Toxteth Park 12 1.58x
Beccles 11 29.73x
Birkenhead 11 3.31x
Frome St Quintin 11 909.09x
Leatherhead 11 47.76x
Old Monkland 11 4.54x
St George Hanover Square 11 3.31x
Stoke 11 25.35x
Tilston 11 466.10x
Walthamstow 11 8.20x
Carden 10 917.43x
Chiswick 10 9.70x
Christchurch 10 11.92x
Llandaff 10 9.15x
Milton In Gravesend 10 10.35x
Streatham 10 7.14x
Welton Melton 10 182.82x
Bermondsey 9 1.60x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.10x
Clerkenwell London 9 2.02x
Holy Trinity 9 2.00x
Lavant Mid 9 342.21x
Mile End Old Town London 9 2.24x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.37x
Owermoigne 9 329.67x
Pulham St Mary Magdalen 9 123.63x
Ramsey 9 183.67x
Rotherhithe 9 3.86x
Sampford Peverell 9 215.83x
Southwark Christchurch 9 10.18x
Beaulieu 8 132.89x
Bradford 8 1.77x
Bromley London 8 1.93x
Dorking 8 12.95x
Dundonald 8 15.36x
Heigham 8 5.14x
Linton In Newent 8 133.56x
Lowestoft 8 7.37x
Marlston Cum Lache 8 987.65x
Ringwood 8 32.32x
Southampton All Sts 8 12.05x
Stockland 8 140.85x
Wantage 8 35.41x
Wollaston 8 81.97x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Goff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Goff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 117
John 87
George 72
James 70
Thomas 64
Henry 49
Charles 39
Robert 29
Alfred 28
Joseph 22
Arthur 20
Edward 20
Frederick 20
Samuel 19
Albert 15
Richard 15
Walter 15
Harry 9
Ernest 8
Francis 8
David 7
Edwin 6
Herbert 5
Tom 5
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Willm. 4
Eli 3
Geo. 3
Jas. 3
Michael 3
Moses 3
Percy 3
Richd. 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Allen 2
Augustus 2
Edmund 2
Edwd. 2
Fred 2
Heaton 2
Horace 2
Jacob 2
Lewis 2
Sydney 2
Trevor 2
Edgar 1

FAQ

Goff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,932 people were recorded with the Goff surname. That placed it at #2,262 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,706 in 2016. That gives Goff a modern rank of #2,483.

What does the Goff surname mean?

A variant of Gough, likely referring to a person with a cleft palate or who spoke strangely.

What does the Goff map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Goff bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.