NameCensus.

UK surname

Goman

A topographic surname indicating someone who lived on a small hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Goman surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 122, ranked #27,255, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes and Stratton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Watford, Cardiff and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goman is 174 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.8%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

122

2016, ranked #27,255

Peak year

1861

174 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goman had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016, ranked #27,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 174 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Goman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Goman 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 174 #13,483
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 122 #27,255

Geography

Back to top

Where Gomans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes, Stratton, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Watford, Cardiff, Stockport and Charnwood. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stratton Cornwall
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Watford 003 Watford
2 Cardiff 045 Cardiff
3 Cardiff 020 Cardiff
4 Stockport 011 Stockport
5 Charnwood 002 Charnwood

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Goman

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Goman

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Goman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Goman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Goman is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goman 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

Goman 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 Goman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goman

The surname GOMAN is of German origin, believed to have emerged in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "gouweman," meaning "a district man" or "a man from a particular region." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived in a specific area or region within Germany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOMAN surname can be found in the census records of the town of Augsburg, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. The name was also mentioned in several church records and land registries from various German states during the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing the GOMAN surname was Johann Goman (1807-1878), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the subjects of ethics and moral philosophy. His works, such as "The Essence of Christianity" and "The Life of Jesus," were widely influential during his time.

Another notable person with the GOMAN surname was Wilhelm Goman (1842-1912), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Charlottenburg Palace and the Berlin Zoological Garden. His architectural style was heavily influenced by the Baroque and Renaissance periods.

In the United Kingdom, one of the earliest recorded instances of the GOMAN surname can be traced back to the 17th century. Thomas Goman (1633-1702) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts, including "The Christian's Warfare Against the Devil, World, and Flesh."

Moving forward to the 19th century, Jakob Goman (1813-1892) was a German-born artist and painter who settled in the United States. He is best known for his landscape paintings depicting the American West and the Rocky Mountains. His works were widely acclaimed and are now part of several prestigious art collections.

Another notable figure with the GOMAN surname was Friedrich Goman (1857-1923), a German-American entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Goman Manufacturing Company in Chicago. His company was a leading producer of machinery and equipment for the agricultural and mining industries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Goman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goman 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 24 Gomans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 24 3.28x
Devon 18 11.82x
Somerset 10 8.49x
Channel Islands 8 36.90x
Cornwall 4 4.83x
Surrey 3 0.84x
Cheshire 1 0.62x
Essex 1 0.69x
Gloucestershire 1 0.70x
Kent 1 0.40x
Lancashire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 11.47x
Yorkshire 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. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 8 Gomans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.67x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 8 19.67x
Barnstaple 7 292.89x
Bedminster 6 54.25x
St Sampson 6 612.24x
St Marylebone London 5 12.80x
Weston Super Mare 4 134.68x
Bideford 3 184.05x
Lambeth 3 4.70x
Stratton 3 666.67x
Westminster St John 3 33.67x
Bromley London 2 12.43x
Fulham London 2 18.85x
Hennock 2 1052.63x
St George Hanover Square 2 15.52x
Tormoham 2 31.06x
Aylesford 1 144.93x
Burton Agnes 1 1111.11x
Clifton 1 13.79x
Coffinswell 1 2000.00x
Hartford 1 270.27x
Ilfracombe 1 63.69x
Islington London 1 1.41x
Kea 1 161.29x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 78.13x
Royal Navy 1 13.42x
Salford 1 3.92x
St Martin In Fields 1 22.83x
St Peter Port 1 24.94x
St Peterinthe Wood 1 344.83x
Stokeinteignhead 1 625.00x
Walthamstow 1 19.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
Henry 5
William 5
Thomas 4
George 3
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Alice 1
Charles 1
Ebenezer 1
Egbert 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Jeremiah 1
Joseph 1
Philip 1
Richary 1

FAQ

Goman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Goman surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016. That gives Goman a modern rank of #27,255.

What does the Goman surname mean?

A topographic surname indicating someone who lived on a small hill or mound.

What does the Goman map show?

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