Goff is a surname of

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

origin. It is the 946th most common

family name In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. When the surname originates from England it is derived from an occupational name from Welsh, Cornish or Breton. The Welsh ''gof'' and the Breton ''goff'' means "smith" (

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

with Irish ''gobha''). The English-originating surname is common in

East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...

, where it is of Breton origin. The Welsh name is a variant of the surname Gough, and is derived from a

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

for someone with

red hair Red hair, also known as ginger hair, is a human hair color found in 2–6% of people of northern Europe, Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and lesser frequency in other populations. It is most common in individuals Zygosity#Homozy ...

. The native Irish name is derived from a patronymic form of the Gaelic personal name Eochaidh/Eachaidh, which means "horseman".

Notable people

* Barbara Goff, classics professor * Bruce Goff, architect * Darius Goff (1809–1891), industrialist and businessman * Frederick R. Goff (1916–1982), librarian * Greg Goff, American college baseball coach * Guy D. Goff (1866–1933), US Senator from West Virginia * H. N. Goff, American politician and businessman * Harper Goff, American artist, musician, and actor * Harriet Newell Kneeland Goff (1828–1901), American author, temperance reformer * Helen Lyndon Goff author, better known as P. L. Travers the creator of Mary Poppins * Jared Goff, American football quarterback *

Jacques Le Goff Jacques Le Goff (; 1 January 1924 – 1 April 2014) was a French historian and prolific author specializing in the Middle Ages, particularly the 12th and 13th centuries. Le Goff championed the Annales School movement, which emphasizes long-term ...

, French historian * Jerry Goff, American baseball player * John William Goff (1848–1924), American lawyer and politician from New York * Jonathan Goff, American football player * Keli Goff, American journalist, playwright and screenwriter * Kellen Goff, American voice actor * Kenneth Goff, American anti-communist * Martyn Goff (1923–2015), British author, bookseller and literary administrator * Mike Goff (baseball), professional baseball player/manager * Mike Goff (American football), American football player * Nathan Goff Jr., member of the United States Congress *

Phil Goff Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand retired politician and former diplomat. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, le ...

, former leader of the Labour Party of New Zealand * Philip Goff (philosopher), British philosopher * Ray Goff, American football player and coach *

Reginald Goff Sir Reginald William Goff, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (22 March 1907 – 17 January 1980) was a British judge. He was a Court of Appeal judge (England and Wales), Lord Justice of Appeal between 1975 and his death in 1980, when he wa ...

(1907–1980), English judge * Robert Goff (football player), American football player *

Robert Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley Robert Lionel Archibald Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley, , Queen's Counsel, QC (12 November 1926 – 14 August 2016) was an English Barristers in England and Wales, barrister and judge who was Lords of Appeal in Ordinary#Senior and Second Senior ...

(1926–2016), British judge and law lord * Sir Park Goff, 1st Baronet, British Conservative party politician, MP * Sidney Clayton Goff (1861–1935), American dentist and politician * Stan Goff (born 1951), author * Thomas Goff (1867–1949), Irish/English landowner and politician * Thomas William Goff (1829–1876), Irish Conservative party politician, MP * Trish Goff (born 1976), fashion model * William A. Goff (1929–2019), judge of the United States Tax Court

References

External links

Goff/Gough Surname DNA Study

The Goff Surname, Ancestry.com

The Gough Surname, Ancestry.com

The McGough Surname, Ancestry.com

The Goff-Gough Family Association

Notable people

References

External links

See also