Show ContentsGoss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Goss family

The surname Goss was first found in Staffordshire where the Pipe Rolls of 1130 list Gotso dapifer. A few years later, Gosce and Joce de Brunna were listed in Lincolnshire in 1195. From these earliest entries as a forename, we found Hugo Gosse in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202 and Geoffrey Gosse in Huntingdonshire in 1251. The Pipe Rolls of 1205 for Suffolk included Richard Goce and Thomas Joce was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the name in a variety of spellings: Isabel le Gous, Cambridgeshire; Walter le Gows, Cambridgeshire; and Michael le Govs, Somerset. 2 In Somerset, Richard le Goos and William Goose were listed there 1 Edward III (in the first year of the reign of Edward III.) 3

In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Cicilia Gous and Johannes Gosse as holding lands there at that time. 2

"The name of Goss is now best represented in the Aylesbury district [of Buckinghamshire]. In the 13th century Gosse was a common Bucks name, occurring in Stoke Goldington, Ravenstone, and in other parts of the county." 4

The source Baines' Lancashire notes "Thomas Goose was executed at Garstang, Lancashire, Feb. 14, 1716, for joining the Scotch insurgents in 1715."

Early History of the Goss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goss research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1202, 1205, 1327, 1359, 1400, 1402, 1770, 1800, 1811, 1814, 1817, 1841, 1872 and 1880 are included under the topic Early Goss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goss Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gosse, Goss, Joss, Jose and others.

Early Notables of the Goss family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • Alexander Goss (1814-1872), Roman Catholic bishop of Liverpool, born at Ormskirk, Lancashire, on 5 July 1814, educated at St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, and at the English College, Rome, where he was...
  • Sir John Goss (1800-1880), the English musical composer, born at Fareham, Hampshire, on 27 Dec. 1800, was son of Joseph Goss, organist of Fareham. His uncle, John Jeremiah Goss (1770-1817), was an alt...

Goss Ranking

In the United States, the name Goss is the 1,047th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 5


Goss migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Goss Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Goss who arrived in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1631
  • Jane Goss, who arrived in Virginia in 1656 6
  • Henry Goss, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 6
  • John Goss, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 6
Goss Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Adam Goss, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1740
  • Carl Goss, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 6
  • Johannes Goss, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 6
  • Stephan Goss, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 6
  • Johann Kraff Goss, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Goss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Miss Harriet Goss, (b. 1804), aged 28, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
  • Miss Ann Goss, (b. 1826), aged 6, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
  • Mr. Thomas Goss, (b. 1827), aged 5, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
  • Miss Harriet Goss, (b. 1829), aged 3, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 7
  • S W Goss, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Goss migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Goss Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Giles Goss, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1703 8
  • Solomon Goss, who settled in Torbay, Newfoundland in 1756 8
  • Richard Goss, who arrived in Bishop's Cove, Newfoundland before 1775 8
  • Mr. Charles Goss U.E. who settled in Magaguadavic River, Saint George, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 9
  • Mr. Samuel Goss U.E. who settled in Magaguadavic River, Saint George, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Goss Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Goss, who landed in Canada in 1829
  • Samuel Blake Goss, who arrived in Canada in 1834

Goss migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Goss Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edmund Goss, English convict who was convicted in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Henry Goss, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 11
  • Elizabeth Goss, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 11
  • Ann Goss, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 11
  • Mary Grace Goss, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Goss 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:

Goss Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Goss, Irish settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 12
  • Miss Sarah Ann Goss, (b. 1857), aged 1 year 6 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 13
  • Mrs. Sarah Goss, (b. 1830), aged 28, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 13
  • Mr. James Goss, (b. 1833), aged 25, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 13
  • Melina Goss, aged 14, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Goss (post 1700) +

  • Patrick "Pat" Goss (d. 2022), American radio and television personality based in Washington D.C
  • Benjamin Stephenson "Steve" Goss (1949-2015), American politician, Member of the North Carolina Senate (2007-2010)
  • Brigadier-General Wentworth Goss (1903-1971), American Assistant Plans Officer Pacific Air Forces (1943-1945) 14
  • Chris Goss (b. 1959), American record producer and musician
  • Porter Johnston Goss (b. 1938), American politician, last Director of Central Intelligence
  • Charles Mayo Goss (b. 1899), American physician and educator
  • Ephraim Goss, American politician, Member of New York State Senate 28th District, 1860-61 15
  • Edward Wheeler Goss (1893-1972), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate, 1926-28; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 1930-35; Defeated, 1934 15
  • Edna L. Goss, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1924 15
  • D. F. Goss, American politician, Member of Texas State Senate 29th District, 1893-94, 1899-1902 15
  • ... (Another 38 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Master Joseph Goss (1910-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
  • Master John Goss (1907-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
  • Miss Violet Goss (1904-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
  • Mr. John Goss (1884-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
  • Mrs. Beatrice Goss (1883-1914), née Bath Canadian Third Class Passenger from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Sidney Goss, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 17


Suggested Readings for the name Goss +

  • All About Me and My Ancestors by Laura Blanchard Simpson.
  • Frederick Goss of Rowan County, North Carolina, and His Descendants by Lois Ione Hotchkiss Heuss.

  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  8. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  9. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Lysander.htm
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) Wentworth Goss. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Goss/Wentworth/USA.html
  15. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  16. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  17. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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