Show ContentsGosnell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Gosnell family

The surname Gosnell was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor.

The Gosnay variant and its phonetic variations originated later in Yorkshire where John Gosnay was listed as holding lands in 1447. In this case the name meant "dweller at the island frequented by geese," from the Old English "gos, neg." 1

Early History of the Gosnell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gosnell research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1447, 1455, 1487, 1507, 1547, 1553, 1554, 1560, 1571, 1607 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Gosnell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gosnell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gosnold, Gosney, Gosnall, Gossney, Gossnold, Goosney, Goozney, Goozeney, Goozenay, Gosnolde, Goznall and many more.

Early Notables of the Gosnell family

Distinguished members of the family include Bartholomew Gosnold (1571-1607), an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer who was instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown in colonial America. He led the first recorded European expedition...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gosnell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gosnell Ranking

In the United States, the name Gosnell is the 5,620th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Gosnell family to Ireland

Some of the Gosnell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Gosnell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gosnell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Eliza Gosnell, who landed in Virginia in 1653 3
  • Marg Gosnell, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 3
  • William Gosnell, who landed in Virginia in 1658 3
Gosnell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frank Gosnell, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
  • Mrs. Frank Gosnell, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1896
  • Mr. Frank Gosnell, aged 42, who landed in America, in 1896
Gosnell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • H. Gosnell, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Harry Gosnell, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1909
  • Mary Gosnell, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
  • Harry Gosnell, aged 34, who settled in America, in 1910
  • Thomas Gosnell, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Boyle, Ireland, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gosnell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gosnell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Gosnell, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Levant Star" from Cork, Ireland
  • Norry Gosnell, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Levant Star" from Cork, Ireland

Gosnell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gosnell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Gosnell, (b. 1823), aged 33, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 4
  • Miss Deborah Gosnell, (b. 1824), aged 32, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Gosnell (post 1700) +

  • Beth Gosnell (b. 1965), born Baby Enslen, American actress, known for her work in Witch (2014), Semiotics (2014) and I Almost Remember (2014)
  • Bradley Gosnell, American actor, known for his work in The Smurfs (2011), Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
  • Raja Raymond Gosnell (b. 1958), American film director and editor, known for Big Momma's House (2000), Never Been Kissed (1999) and Scooby-Doo (2002)
  • Jack Gosnell, American diplomat, US Consul General to St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Thomas J. Gosnell, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 2000, 2008 5
  • Thomas H. Gosnell, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1972 5
  • Sanford N. Gosnell, American Republican politician, Minister; Postmaster at Gosnell, Oklahoma, 1901-02; Frederick, Oklahoma, 1902-03 5
  • Albert Arthur Gosnell (1880-1972), English international footballer
  • Joseph Arthur Gosnell CC OBC Sr. (1936-2020), Canadian tribal leader who led the Nisga'a people of northern British Columbia
  • Mr. David Peter Gosnell O.B.E. (b. 1957), British Executive Chairman for Old Bushmills Distillery, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to the Economy in Northern Ireland 6
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


Houseofnames.com on Facebook