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The surname of Gould is of an Anglo-Saxon origin, with two possible sources. The first of these sources is that the Gould surname is derived from a personal name or nickname, derived from the Old English word “Golde”. Golde is the femine form of the name. And also from the Old English word “Golda” which is a masculine name. They both translate to mean gold. This name was often given to someone who had golden hair, or perhaps was sometimes given to a precious person, or someone with intrinsic value. The second possible origin of this surname of Gould is that the names of Gould, Gold, or Goult were given to someone who worked in gold, such as a jeweler, refiner, or gilder. This is an occupational surname, which is also derived from the Old English “golda” or “golde” and used for a different purpose.
England
The first recorded spelling of the surname of Gould was found in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire in the year 1165, as one Walter Gold. The Pipe Rolls were under the direction of King Henry II, who was known as “The Builder of Churches” and reigned from the year 1154 to the year 1189. In the Doomsday Book of 1086, one named Hugo filius Golde was recorded, and in the 1193 Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire, Ralph filius Golde was listed. As a reminder, the Doomsday Book of 1086 was said to contain the “Great Survey” of England. This surname of Gould is found all over the counties of England and Wales. In England, the places with the highest concentrations of those who bear the surname of Gould are the counties of Wiltshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Somerset, Devon, Hampshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Dorset, and the city of London.
Scotland
In Scotland, those who carry the surname of Gould are established in the entire country. The counties that have the larger populations of those with the surname of Gould are Angus, Aberdeenshire, Fife, Midlothian, and Lanarkshire.
Ireland
The Irish version of the name Gould has been Goold. The first known ancestor of this name in Ireland is William Goold. He is believed to possibly be Anglo-Norman origin. He was the mayor of Cork in 1443. For generations after the family would be landowners and merchants in the town. By the late 1800s the line would cease abrubtly when James Goold would leave for Australia, and Vere Goold was tried and convicted in a famous murder case.
United States
In the 1600’s European citizens began to leave their home country in search of a new and better life. The United States of America, which at that time was referred to as the New World, was filled with promises of religious freedom, new and interesting jobs, land with no owner, and better overall living conditions. Thus, America was a high destination during the European Migration. The first person who landed in America and was recorded to have the surname of Gould, was as man named Nathaniell Gould, who settled in the state of Virginia in the year 1620. Closely following him was Peter Gould, who also landed in the state of Virginia, but two years later, in 1622. Thirteen years later, Jarvice Gould, John Gould, and Edward Gould sailed on the ship named the “Elizabeth” from London. England, to Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1635. Those people in the United States of America who carry the surname of Gould are congregated in very high concentrations in the states od Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. However, by the time the 20th Century rolled around, those who were identified with the surname of Gould were found mostly in the state of New York.
Gould Today
United States 47,213
England 16,391
Canada 7,180
Australia 6,384
South Africa 2,776
New Zealand 1,380
Wales 1,106
Scotland 801
France 502
Argentina 403
Notable People
- David Gould (1943-1988) who was a college professor from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, which was known as the Lockerbie Bombing in 1988, and died
- George Jay Gould (1864-1923) who was the President of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and the Western Pacific Railroad
- Chester Gould (1900-1985) who was the cartoonist and creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip
- Morton Gould (1913-1996) who was a composer, conductor, arranger and pianist from America who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1995
- Gordon Gould (1920-2005) who was a physicist from America credited with the invention of the laser
- Elliott Gould (born in 1938) who was an actor from America, played Trapper John in M*A*S*H
- Laurence McKinley Gould (1896-1995) who was a geologist, educator, and polar explorer from America
- Mr. Richard Gould (died in 1915) who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania as a Senior Boilermaker from Bootle, Lancashire, England, and died in the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915