Meaning and origin
The last name Goff is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh personal name "Gough" or "Goff," which itself is a variant of the given name "Gwilym," meaning "desire" or "will." It is believed to have been introduced to Britain during the medieval period by Scandinavian settlers, and later spread to other English-speaking countries through immigration and the diaspora.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#1,081
Goff was the 1,081st most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 32,298 people, about 11 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Goff
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Goff is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.