NameCensus.

UK surname

Goth

Of Germanic origin, referring to the ancient Gothic tribes or people.

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Goth surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 137, ranked #25,254, down from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedbergh, Lancaster Borough and Melling. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Lancaster and Slough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goth is 151 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.7%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

137

2016, ranked #25,254

Peak year

1911

151 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goth had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016, ranked #25,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goth 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 131 #23,793
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 135 #24,952
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 132 #25,971
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 137 #25,254

Geography

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Where Goths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedbergh, Lancaster Borough, Melling, Lancaster and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Lancaster, Slough and Dudley. 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 Sedbergh Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
3 Melling Lancashire
4 Lancaster Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 007 Bolton
2 Lancaster 002 Lancaster
3 Bolton 004 Bolton
4 Slough 010 Slough
5 Dudley 016 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goth, 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 Goth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Goth 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Goth is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goth 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

Goth 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 Goth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goth

The surname Goth has its origins in the Germanic tribes known as the Goths, who were among the first to embrace Christianity and played a significant role in shaping the history of Europe. The name likely originated from the Gothic language, in which it meant "one from Goth-land" or "one from the land of the Goths."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Goth can be traced back to the 9th century, where it appeared in various documents and manuscripts from the region of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. One notable example is found in the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram, a 9th-century illuminated manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Germany.

During the Middle Ages, the name Goth was associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Jordanes, a 6th-century Roman bureaucrat and historian who wrote the seminal work "De Origine Actibusque Getarum" (The Origin and Deeds of the Goths). Another prominent figure was Theodoric the Great (454-526 AD), the king of the Ostrogoths who ruled the Italian Peninsula and established a prosperous kingdom in the aftermath of the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

As the centuries passed, the name Goth continued to be found in various records and documents across Europe. In England, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists several individuals with the surname Goth, indicating the name's presence in the region during the Norman conquest. One notable English bearer of the name was Sir Matthew Goth (c. 1320-1380), a prominent soldier and diplomat who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In the Netherlands, the name Goth has been associated with several notable individuals, including the painter Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617), whose surname is believed to be derived from the same root as Goth. Another prominent Dutch figure was Pieter Codde (c. 1599-1678), a Catholic priest and a leading figure in the Jansenist controversy within the Catholic Church.

The surname Goth has also been found in other parts of Europe, including Germany, where it was borne by the philosopher and theologian Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832), one of the most influential figures of the German Enlightenment and the author of works such as "Faust" and "The Sorrows of Young Werther."

While the surname Goth has its roots in the ancient Germanic tribes, it has spread across Europe and continues to be found in various countries today, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this enduring name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goth 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. Lancashire leads with 84 Goths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 84 5.34x
Middlesex 16 1.21x
Yorkshire 16 1.22x
Westmorland 9 30.86x
Norfolk 7 3.43x
Staffordshire 2 0.45x
Durham 1 0.25x
Worcestershire 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lancaster in Lancashire leads with 19 Goths recorded in 1881 and an index of 202.77x.

Place Total Index
Lancaster 19 202.77x
Dent 15 2727.27x
Colne 13 277.19x
Mile End Old Town London 10 35.42x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 35.99x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 7 1000.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 17.44x
Hornby 6 3750.00x
Northwold 6 1090.91x
West Derby 6 13.03x
Gorton 5 33.78x
Middleton In Lancaster 5 7142.86x
Skerton 5 387.60x
Hackney London 4 5.38x
Quernmore 4 1481.48x
Halton 3 909.09x
Great Little Marsden 2 27.74x
Kendal 2 37.45x
Wolstanton Knutton 2 73.26x
Bracon Ash 1 769.23x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 95.24x
Redditch 1 28.49x
St Bride London 1 129.87x
Stranton 1 7.52x
Westminster St James 1 7.33x
Whittingham 1 144.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 11
Thomas 11
Edward 4
James 4
Matthew 4
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
George 2
Mathew 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
Fawcett 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Martin 1
Mason 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Soren 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Goth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Goth surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016. That gives Goth a modern rank of #25,254.

What does the Goth surname mean?

Of Germanic origin, referring to the ancient Gothic tribes or people.

What does the Goth map show?

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