Gosselin
A surname of Norman French origin, likely going back to an old Germanic personal name rather than the word for “goose.”
The #5,681 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,581 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally treated as a Norman French surname formed from an older Germanic personal name, appearing in medieval forms such as Gozilin, Gozelin, and related spellings. It is sometimes linked to a saint’s name in Latinized form, and some writers connect it ultimately with a Germanic root like Goz- or Gozzo rather than any descriptive French word. The ending -elin is a common old diminutive/personal-name element in French naming.
History
The surname appears in medieval Norman records and is associated with families from Normandy, including bearers in Guernsey. It spread into French and Anglo-Norman usage, and later turned up in English-language genealogical sources as a French/Norman surname. Some 19th-century writers debated whether related forms could also be nicknames, but Gosselin itself is usually treated as a true old personal-name formation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname compiler specifically noted that Gosselin was an exception among similar-looking names because it could be traced to an old saintly or Germanic personal-name form, not just to a joke or nickname.
From the historical record
“GOSSELTN. A family of Norman origin who have long resided in Guernsey. They claim descent from Robert Gosselin, wlio for eminent services in tiic rescue of Mont Orgueil from the French in 1839, is said to have been made governor of that fortress, and to have received from Edward III. a grant of the arms now liorne…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom