Show ContentsGooge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Googe family

The surname Googe was first found in Roxburghshire. One of the first records of the name was found in France alluding to its Norman heritage: Martin Gouge (c. 1360-1444), a French chancellor.

However, some of the family were found further south at Billesley in Warwickshire in early times. "The estate was afterwards possessed by Bishop Sherlock, through whose sister, who married Sir Thomas Gooch (1674-1754), Bishop of Ely, it passed into the Gooch family." [1]

Early History of the Googe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Googe research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1540, 1575, 1578, 1594, 1609, 1614, 1630, 1643, 1653, 1665, 1674, 1681, 1700, 1705, 1727, 1730, 1746, 1749, 1751 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Googe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Googe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Googh, Gouche, Gowk, Googe, Gooch, Gooche and others.

Early Notables of the Googe family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • Sir John Gooch of Suffolk; Barnabe Googe (1540-1594), an English poet and translator; William Gouge (1575-1653), an English clergyman and author, minister and preacher at St Ann Blackfriars, member of...
  • Barnabe Googe (1540-1594), was an English poet, son of Robert Googe, recorder of Lincoln. [2]

Googe Ranking

In the United States, the name Googe is the 15,502nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Migration of the Googe family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Gooch, who settled in Maine in 1630; Peter Gooch arrived in Philadelphia in 1738; Mathew Gouch settled in Virginia in 1635; James Gouge settled in Boston in 1712.


Contemporary Notables of the name Googe (post 1700) +

  • George L. Googe, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952 [4]
  • George E. Googe, American politician, Representative from Tennessee 3rd District, 1990 [4]


The Googe Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Audaces juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the bold.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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