Gooch
An English surname that likely began as a pet form of an old personal name, later branching into spellings like Gutch, Goodge, and Gudge.
The #3,155 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,958 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bardsley treats Gooch as a surname meaning “the son of Guch,” from an old personal name Guch. The name appears to have been used as a given name, probably for both men and women, and the surname later developed several regional spellings and forms. The exact root of Guch itself is not fully explained in the excerpts, so the deeper origin remains somewhat uncertain.
History
Bardsley notes that the name had settled into different regional forms: Gutch in Yorkshire and Gooch in Norfolk, with related spellings such as Goodge, Goudge, Gudge, and Gouge. He also mentions Welsh forms Gouch or Goch in the 14th century. The surname is well established in England and later appears in the United States as well.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley says the underlying personal name was “well established for a time,” which is a reminder that many surnames began as old nicknames or pet forms that later disappeared from everyday use.
From the historical record
“GOOCH Gooch, Gutch. Goodge, Goudge, Gudge.— Bapt. *the son of Guch.' This personal name, probably used by both sexes^ has escaped the vigilant eye of Miss Yonge ; but it was well established for a time, and has left many descendants. In Yorkshire the sur- name seems to have settled down into Gutch, in Norfolk into…”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)