Gouldsmith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Israel
Ireland
Scotland

The name Gouldsmith is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a goldsmith, jeweler. The name denoted "one who made or sold gold articles, a jeweler, later a banker." 1 Early records may show the name in the Latin-French version "Aurifaber." 2

Early French revealed "Geoffry, Roger, William, Nicholas. Gerard Aurifaber (Goldsmith) of Normandy 1180-95, three more in 1198 in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 3

"The great value of the commodity in which the medieval goldsmith dealt rendered him a person of consequence. No less than three tenants-in-chief under the Conqueror arc entered in Domesday under the name of Aurifaber. One of these, Otto Aurifaber, held in Essex, and his descendants, under the surname of Fitz-Otho, appear to have been hereditary mint-masters to the crown for two centuries, becoming extinct in 1282. Kelham. The equivalent French Orfevre, and the German Goldschmid, are well-known surnames." 4

Early Origins of the Gouldsmith family

The surname Gouldsmith was first found in Norfolk where Roger Goldsmiz was listed in 1250. Thomas Goldsmith was listed in the Assize Rolls for Essex in 1255 and later John le Goldesmethe was listed in Devon in 1309. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls recorded the name in the Latin form: Geoffrey Aurifaber, Salop (Shropshire); and Walter Aurifaber, Oxfordshire. 2

Richard le Goldsmythe, was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign) in Somerset. 6

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Thomas Goldsmyth, goldsmyth, of Wakefield; Johannes filius Gallridi, goldsmyth; Hugo Goldsmyth; and Agnes Goldsmvche. 2

Further to the north in Scotland, the records were first in the Latin form and later changed to the more contemporary spellings. "William Aurifaber witnessed a gift of land to the Hospital of Soltre c. 1250-1266. Ewgenius (Ewen) Aurifaber was one of an inquest at Dumbarton in 1271, and Martin Aurifaber appears as burgess of Aberdeen in 1281. Walter Aurifaber, burgess of Roxburgh in 1285 is doubtless "Walter the goldsmith, burgess and alderman of Roxburgh," who rendered homage in 1296. Rogier le orfeure of Berwick, also rendered homage in 1296. John Goldsmith (aurifaber) was bailie of Edinburgh in 1342 and rendered to Exchequer the accounts of the city." 7 The two entries of "rendered homage" refers to them having "renerderd homage" to King Edward I during his attempt to conquer Scotland.

Early History of the Gouldsmith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gouldsmith research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1426, 1427, 1453, 1472, 1481, 1488, 1494, 1613, 1629 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Gouldsmith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gouldsmith Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Gouldsmith are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Gouldsmith include Goldsmith, Goldsmyth and others.

Early Notables of the Gouldsmith family

Distinguished members of the family include Francis Goldsmith (1613-1655), English translator of Grotius, born on 25 March 1613, son and heir of Francis Goldsmith of St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, Middlesex, and grandson of Sir Francis Goldsmith of Crayford, Kent. "He became a gentleman-commoner of...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gouldsmith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gouldsmith family to Ireland

Some of the Gouldsmith family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gouldsmith migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gouldsmith or a variant listed above:

Gouldsmith Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Gouldsmith, who landed in Virginia in 1623 8
Nicholas Gouldsmith, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1624 8
John Gouldsmith, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 8
Elizabeth Gouldsmith, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 8
George Gouldsmith, who landed in Maryland in 1661 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gouldsmith Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Gouldsmith, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1821 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Gouldsmith (post 1700) +

Harriet Gouldsmith (1787-1863), English landscape painter and etcher
Lieutenant Leonard Frank Gouldsmith (1890-1915), Canadian soldier killed in action at Somme, France, recipient of the Croix de Guerre and the Military Medal
Frank Gouldsmith Speck (1881-1950), American anthropologist

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)