NameCensus.

UK surname

Goforth

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "goat ford" or "good ford."

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Goforth surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton Fleming, Hull Holy Trinity and Frodingham, North. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Doncaster and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goforth is 173 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2008

173 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goforth had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Goforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goforth 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 53 #23,739
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 157 #21,201
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 169 #21,652
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Goforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton Fleming, Hull Holy Trinity, Frodingham, North, Beverley St Mary and Routh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Doncaster, Ryedale and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Burton Fleming Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Frodingham, North Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Beverley St Mary Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Routh Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 014 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Doncaster 027 Doncaster
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 Doncaster 038 Doncaster
5 Kingston upon Hull 021 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goforth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goforth

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Goforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Goforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Goforth is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Goforth is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goforth falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goforth

The surname Goforth originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the old English phrase "go forth," which meant to venture out or travel. This name was likely given to someone who journeyed frequently or lived a nomadic lifestyle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goforth can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, England, from the late 13th century. Here, it was spelled as "Gofurth." This spelling variation suggests that the name evolved over time through regional dialects and scribal errors.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Gofurth," "Goforthe," and "Goforth," in records from counties like Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire in England. The spelling "Goforth" became more standardized by the 16th and 17th centuries.

The name Goforth is also linked to certain place names in England, such as Goforth Hill in Gloucestershire and Goforth Marsh in Somerset. These locations may have influenced the surname's development or served as residences for early bearers of the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Goforth include William Goforth (1576-1658), an English clergyman and author known for his religious writings. John Goforth (1845-1920) was a Canadian Presbyterian missionary who served in China during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In Scotland, the name has connections to the Goforth family of Lanarkshire, where Sir John Goforth (1633-1705) was a prominent landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. Another notable figure was James Goforth (1679-1749), a Scottish merchant and shipowner based in Glasgow.

The Goforth surname also found its way to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded individuals was William Goforth (1627-1695), an English Quaker who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner.

Throughout its history, the surname Goforth has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, missionaries, merchants, landowners, and politicians. While the name's origins are rooted in the concept of travel and exploration, it has become a distinctive surname with a rich heritage across different regions and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goforth 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. Yorkshire leads with 70 Goforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.66x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 70 9.66x
Essex 3 2.08x
Lancashire 2 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 12 Goforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.81x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 12 68.81x
Beverley St Mary 10 943.40x
Routh 9 22500.00x
North Burton 8 5714.29x
Rudston 7 4666.67x
Beverley St Martin 6 495.87x
Caytn Deepdal Kilrby 5 3333.33x
Skerne 4 10000.00x
Bempton 2 2500.00x
Liverpool 2 3.79x
South Shoebury 2 344.83x
Cleckheaton 1 37.45x
Hunmanby 1 294.12x
Leven 1 476.19x
North Frodingham 1 588.24x
Prittlewell 1 50.00x
Reighton 1 1666.67x
Skidby 1 1111.11x
Storkhill Sandholme 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 5
George 4
Thomas 4
Robert 3
Jonathan 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
G.D. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathon 1
Walter 1
Wray 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Goforth households.

FAQ

Goforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Goforth surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Goforth a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Goforth surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "goat ford" or "good ford."

What does the Goforth map show?

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