Gober
Likely a surname of Germanic origin, probably a reduced or variant form related to names like Gobert or similar forms built on the old personal name Godbert.
The #7,655 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,156 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The best-supported explanation is that Gober is a shortened or variant surname linked to Germanic personal names such as Gobert or Godbert. Those names go back to old elements meaning "god" and "bright" or "famous," though the exact pathway into this spelling is not certain. In some cases, surnames of this type also arose through spelling simplification or regional pronunciation shifts.
History
The historical record suggests that forms like Gobert, Gobel, and Gobbet circulated across Germanic and French-speaking areas, and Gober may be one of several reduced spellings that emerged from that wider name family. The 1903 Barber excerpt places related forms alongside continental and English variants, but it does not give a direct entry for Gober itself. In the United States, Gober is uncommon but established, with a modest modern bearers count.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names in this family often drifted across borders and spelling systems, so one surname could end up looking quite different from its original medieval form.
From the historical record
“Gobbett. From Gobit ; a loc. n Worcest. Or A.S. Godbeort G. Gutbier, Gobert; FI. Gober Gobbet; Dch. Gobits ; p.n. 5 Gotobed Gobby. See Gobbett Goble. G. Gobel ; p.n. Or F>\”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)