Goff is a surname of Celtic 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, 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. 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, 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, former leader of the Labour Party of New Zealand * Philip Goff (philosopher), British philosopher * Ray Goff, American football player and coach * Reginald Goff (1907–1980), English judge * Robert Goff (football player), American football player * Robert Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley (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