NameCensus.

UK surname

Goffin

A surname derived from the Middle English personal name Goffin, a diminutive form of Godfrey.

In the 1881 census there were 461 people recorded with the Goffin surname, ranking it #7,193 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 637, ranked #8,304, down from #7,193 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Beccles and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire and Great Yarmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goffin is 697 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

461

Ranked #7,193

Modern count

637

2016, ranked #8,304

Peak year

1911

697 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goffin had 461 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,193 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 637 in 2016, ranked #8,304.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 697 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Goffin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goffin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goffin 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 277 #8,112
1861 historical 248 #9,947
1881 historical 461 #7,193
1891 historical 520 #7,194
1901 historical 629 #6,809
1911 historical 697 #6,101
1997 modern 633 #7,827
1998 modern 660 #7,816
1999 modern 649 #7,950
2000 modern 662 #7,826
2001 modern 661 #7,692
2002 modern 653 #7,915
2003 modern 641 #7,902
2004 modern 629 #8,041
2005 modern 620 #8,064
2006 modern 626 #8,029
2007 modern 638 #7,984
2008 modern 631 #8,096
2009 modern 638 #8,186
2010 modern 650 #8,242
2011 modern 644 #8,215
2012 modern 621 #8,359
2013 modern 655 #8,163
2014 modern 651 #8,244
2015 modern 632 #8,380
2016 modern 637 #8,304

Geography

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Where Goffins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Beccles, London parishes, Great Yarmouth and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire and Great Yarmouth. 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 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
2 Beccles Suffolk
3 London parishes London 2
4 Great Yarmouth Norfolk
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
2 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
3 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
4 Great Yarmouth 007 Great Yarmouth
5 Great Yarmouth 008 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goffin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goffin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goffin, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Goffin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Goffin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Goffin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goffin is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goffin falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goffin 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 Goffin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Goffin

The surname Goffin has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "gofin," which means "winding" or "meandering." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a winding road or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a famous medieval manuscript completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Geoffin in Normandy, France.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Gofyn, Goffyn, and Goffine. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the 13th century, a prominent individual named Renaud Goffin was a well-known merchant and landowner in the city of Troyes, France. His name is documented in several historical records from that era.

Another notable figure was Jean Goffin, a French Catholic priest and theologian born in 1572 in Liège, Belgium. He was known for his writings on religious subjects and played a role in the Counter-Reformation movement.

During the 17th century, a family named Goffin settled in the village of Ennery, located in the Picardy region of northern France. The name can still be found in local records and on gravestones in the village cemetery.

In the 19th century, a French artist named Émile Goffin (1823-1901) gained recognition for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from the Normandy region.

Another individual with the surname Goffin was Robert Goffin (1898-1984), a Belgian writer and poet who spent much of his life living in Paris. He was known for his works exploring the themes of exile and identity.

While the surname Goffin has French origins, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the winding roads and rivers of medieval France, where this distinctive name first emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goffin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goffin 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. Norfolk leads with 190 Goffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.48x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 190 27.48x
Suffolk 82 14.97x
Middlesex 38 0.85x
Devon 31 3.31x
Yorkshire 21 0.47x
Durham 20 1.49x
Lincolnshire 18 2.50x
Essex 14 1.58x
Lancashire 11 0.21x
Surrey 9 0.41x
Berkshire 8 2.37x
Sussex 5 0.66x
Bedfordshire 4 1.72x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.35x
Channel Islands 1 0.75x
Dorset 1 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.83x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Kent 1 0.07x
Northamptonshire 1 0.24x
Shropshire 1 0.26x
Somerset 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 53 Goffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 92.54x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 53 92.54x
Beccles 44 498.87x
Winterton 29 2377.05x
Salhouse 17 1752.58x
Stalham 17 1287.88x
Lowestoft 12 46.39x
Hackney London 10 3.97x
Harton 10 189.04x
Sampford Peverell 10 1010.10x
Buxton 9 1046.51x
Clee With Weelsby 8 50.83x
Kirkdale 8 8.91x
Netteswell 8 1568.63x
Norwich St Swithin 8 666.67x
Plymouth Charles The 8 19.40x
Sprowston 8 262.30x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 12.08x
Lambeth 7 1.79x
Southwold 7 216.05x
Hampstead Norris 6 283.02x
Ingoldmells 6 1621.62x
Potter Heigham 6 937.50x
Sheffield 6 4.23x
St Pancras London 6 1.66x
Uplowman 6 983.61x
Blofield 5 284.09x
Ipswich St Clement 5 35.92x
Kirkley 5 109.17x
Shoreditch London 5 2.56x
Brightside Bierlow 4 4.58x
Chelsea London 4 2.95x
Luton 4 9.92x
North Cove 4 1111.11x
Sculcoates 4 5.66x
St Marylebone London 4 1.67x
Tiverton 4 24.81x
West Ham 4 2.04x
Bishopwearmouth 3 2.61x
Bungay St Mary 3 110.70x
Hastings St Mary In The 3 18.55x
Heigham 3 8.08x
Hempnall 3 220.59x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 3 71.26x
Snettisham 3 157.07x
St Luke London 3 4.16x
Tattershall Thorpe 3 625.00x
Thorpe Next Norwich 3 40.93x
Brighton 2 1.31x
Bury 2 3.28x
Hellesdon 2 157.48x
Hickling 2 157.48x
Hockworthy 2 425.53x
Holy Trinity 2 1.87x
Leyton Low 2 11.09x
Norwich St James 2 36.90x
Norwich St Peter 2 44.05x
Rockland St Mary 2 294.12x
Sutton 2 344.83x
Thatcham 2 38.46x
Woodbastwick 2 625.00x
Burlescombe 1 78.74x
Clapham 1 1.78x
Collingtree 1 250.00x
Halvergate 1 135.14x
Hammersmith London 1 0.90x
Horning 1 149.25x
Kensington London 1 0.40x
Kessingland 1 52.91x
Limehouse London 1 2.03x
Liverpool 1 0.31x
Norwich St John 1 161.29x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 1 128.21x
Paddington London 1 0.60x
Portsea 1 0.55x
Repps Cum Bastwick 1 243.90x
Skidby 1 178.57x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.26x
Tottenham 1 1.40x
Wellington 1 10.19x
Wheatacre All Sts 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 15
Eliza 9
Harriet 9
Ellen 8
Alice 7
Charlotte 7
Jane 7
Emma 6
Hannah 6
Louisa 6
Maria 6
Matilda 6
Edith 5
Martha 5
Florence 4
Laura 4
Caroline 3
Lucy 3
Amy 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Annis 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Damaris 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Dorcas 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Hesta 1
Hester 1
Hilda 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 23
George 20
James 16
Frederick 12
Robert 10
Arthur 9
Charles 7
Thomas 7
Edward 6
Henry 6
Alfred 5
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Francis 3
Harry 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Elfred 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Alexander 1
Aron 1
Arther 1
Benjmon 1
Benjn. 1
Chares 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Dennis 1
Francois 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Jas. 1
Fredk.T. 1
Fredric 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Hedly 1
Horace 1
Iasac 1
Jas. 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Robt.E. 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Goffin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goffin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 461 people were recorded with the Goffin surname. That placed it at #7,193 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goffin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 637 in 2016. That gives Goffin a modern rank of #8,304.

What does the Goffin surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English personal name Goffin, a diminutive form of Godfrey.

What does the Goffin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Goffin 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.