Goss Family History

Goss Surname Meaning

English, German, and French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gozzo Gauz (Middle English Old French Gosse), short forms of compound names based on the element goz (from gaut, an ethnic name meaning ‘Geat’ or ‘Goth’), rarely also on the element gōd ‘good’ or god, got ‘god’.

In Middle English, Gosse was frequently used as a short form of the double diminutive Goscelin (see Joslin).

Geats (Old English gēatas, Old Scandinavian gautar) were the Scandinavian people formerly occupying modern Götaland in Sweden, their name being closely related to that of the Goths (Old English gotan, Old Scandinavian gotar).

Both ethnic names are presumably derived from a Proto-Germanic word meaning ‘to pour’. The relationship between Geats and Goths is controversial, and in the name elements, the two ethnicities are not always distinguishable.

This surname is rare in France, where the common form is Gosse.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Gosse, Ross, Gess, Goos, Gose, Boss, Koss, Oss, Gloss, Noss

954,000 record(s) for Goss

223K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
27K	Military Records
13K	Immigration Records
151K	Census and Voter Lists
538K	Member Trees

Where is the Goss family from?

You can see how Goss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Goss families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 50 Goss families living in New Hampshire. This was about 14% of all the recorded Goss's in USA. New Hampshire had the highest population of Goss families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goss surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Goss ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Goss. 16% of Goss men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Goss women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goss were Truck driver and Maid.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer

16%

Laborer

16%

Salesman

5%

Truck driver

5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housewife

8%

Teacher

6%

Stenographer

6%

Maid

5%

What Goss family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 151K census records available for the last name Goss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 13K immigration records available for the last name Goss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 27K military records available for the last name Goss. For the veterans among your Goss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Goss lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Goss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Goss in 1940 was 52, and 74 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Goss ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.