Gossett
A surname that may be a diminutive of Goss, often explained as “little goose,” though some writers linked it to other names instead.
The #3,170 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,109 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is usually treated as a diminutive of Goss, a name interpreted in older surname books as meaning “goose.” On that reading, Gossett would mean something like “little goose” or “son of Goss,” formed with a French-looking diminutive ending. Some 19th- and early-20th-century writers also suggested other possibilities, including links to the personal name Joyce/Josse, so the exact origin is not fully settled.
History
The name appears in historical English records in forms such as Goosheved, showing that its spelling and interpretation have varied over time. Later surname writers debated whether it belonged with goose-based nicknames or with French personal names like Josse/Gosselin. In modern usage it survives chiefly as an English surname and is especially familiar in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several older surname authors explicitly pointed to Gossett as a name that might have started as a nickname based on a goose.
From the historical record
“(Goth), lind (gentle) Gossett. See Gozzard Gostellow. See Costello Goswell. From Goosewell, Plyir stock, Devon Gothorp. See Gawthorpe”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)