NameCensus.

UK surname

Goggins

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gógáin, meaning "descendant of Gógán," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Goggins surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 307, ranked #14,508, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Stockport and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Bedford and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goggins is 326 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 358.2%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

307

2016, ranked #14,508

Peak year

2010

326 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goggins had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016, ranked #14,508.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 150 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Goggins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goggins surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goggins 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 290 #13,832
1998 modern 308 #13,661
1999 modern 304 #13,843
2000 modern 295 #14,070
2001 modern 285 #14,191
2002 modern 296 #14,110
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 287 #14,286
2005 modern 282 #14,368
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 295 #14,198
2008 modern 294 #14,327
2009 modern 313 #14,015
2010 modern 326 #13,918
2011 modern 306 #14,410
2012 modern 295 #14,670
2013 modern 310 #14,403
2014 modern 320 #14,181
2015 modern 314 #14,275
2016 modern 307 #14,508

Geography

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Where Goggins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Stockport, Glossop, Halifax and Arlecdon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Bedford and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Arlecdon Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Rossendale 003 Rossendale
3 Bedford 002 Bedford
4 Rossendale 009 Rossendale
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 001 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goggins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goggins

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goggins, 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 Goggins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Goggins 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Goggins is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goggins is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goggins falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goggins

The surname Goggins has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Wales. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gog," which means "to go" or "to move." This suggests that the name may have been a descriptive one, referring to someone who moved frequently or was a traveler.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goggins can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gogginges." This entry indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Goggins.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard Goggyn residing in Gloucestershire, England. This is one of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Goggins or a similar variation. Another notable figure was John Gogyn, born in 1387 in Shropshire, England, who served as a member of the local gentry.

During the 16th century, the Goggins surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a family named Goggins resided in the village of Ripon. One notable member of this family was Richard Goggins, born in 1543, who was a successful merchant and landowner.

In the 17th century, the name Goggins appeared in several parish records in Wales, particularly in the counties of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. One prominent individual was Thomas Goggins, born in 1612 in Pembrokeshire, who was a wealthy landowner and served as a magistrate.

As the centuries progressed, the Goggins surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, with many families emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable figure from this period was William Goggins, born in 1764 in Ireland, who served as a captain in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the surname Goggins is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England and Wales. The name's origins likely stem from a descriptive term related to movement or travel, reflecting the lives of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goggins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goggins 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 26 Goggins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.01x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 26 4.01x
Lancashire 24 3.09x
Kent 5 2.24x
Durham 4 2.06x
Cumberland 2 3.55x
Middlesex 2 0.31x
Surrey 2 0.63x
Bedfordshire 1 2.96x
Hampshire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northowram in Yorkshire leads with 9 Goggins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 198.24x.

Place Total Index
Northowram 9 198.24x
Sculcoates 8 77.90x
Saddleworth 7 140.00x
Liverpool 6 12.74x
Blackburn 5 24.24x
Chatham 5 81.57x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 23.60x
Shincliffe 4 1818.18x
Kirkdale 3 22.99x
Wigan 3 27.68x
Southwark Christchurch 2 65.36x
Crumpsall 1 54.64x
Hammersmith London 1 6.21x
Heath Reach 1 416.67x
Lamplugh 1 357.14x
Mile End Old Town London 1 7.19x
Rusholme 1 48.31x
Skipton 1 49.02x
Spotland 1 11.60x
St Maurice Winchester 1 178.57x
Sutton 1 135.14x
Workington 1 31.06x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Goggins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goggins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Goggins surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goggins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016. That gives Goggins a modern rank of #14,508.

What does the Goggins surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gógáin, meaning "descendant of Gógán," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Goggins map show?

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