2000
#1,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.11
Uncommon Last name
Goins
Derived from the medieval given name Guin or Gwyn, meaning "white, fair" in Welsh or Breton.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,371 Americans carry the last name Goins. That puts it at #1,582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goins surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,510
Census rank
#1,582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,125 bearers of the surname Goins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goins, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goins
The surname Goins is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the late 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gān," meaning "to go," and could have been initially used as a nickname for someone who frequently traveled or went on journeys.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where it appears as "Goyns." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been influenced by the Old French word "goyn," which meant "fool" or "simpleton."
During the 15th century, the name Goins began to appear in various historical records, including court rolls, parish registers, and tax records. In 1428, a certain John Goyns was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region.
The Goins surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Goins Green in Essex and Goins Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable individual with the Goins surname was John Goins, who lived in the late 16th century and was a renowned architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Old Bailey courthouse.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Goins (1592-1658), who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.
During the 17th century, the Goins surname spread across England, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties such as Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.
In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Goins family was William Goins (1713-1789), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire who played a significant role in the development of the city of Leeds.
The 19th century saw the Goins surname gain prominence in other parts of the world, particularly in North America, as many individuals with this surname emigrated from England to the United States and Canada.
One notable American with the Goins surname was George Goins (1827-1905), a successful businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, from 1873 to 1877.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goins
Among Census respondents with the surname Goins, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goins bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Goins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.3% · 14,013
- Black or African American24.4% · 5,396
- Two or more races6.3% · 1,404
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 719
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.3% · 506
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 87
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goins
Goins appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,837
+965 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 7.74
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#1,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,125
-712 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 7.40
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,498 | 21,872 | 8.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,574 | 22,837 | 7.74 | +965 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #1,582 | 22,125 | 7.40 | -712 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 8 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Goins surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,574 | #1,582 | -0.5% |
| Count | 22,837 | 22,125 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.74 | 7.40 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goins bearers went from 22,837 to 22,125 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,574 to #1,582.
FAQ
Goins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goins?
Name Census estimates that about 25,371 living Americans carry the surname Goins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,510 residents.
How common is Goins?
Goins ranks #1,582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,125 people with the surname Goins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,371), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Goins.
Has Goins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goins went from 22,837 recorded bearers to 22,125. That is a decrease of 712 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,574 to #1,582.
What does the Census say about the background of Goins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goins, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.3% (14,013 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.3%), Black (24.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Goins (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Goins mean?
Derived from the medieval given name Guin or Gwyn, meaning "white, fair" in Welsh or Breton. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Goins (7.40 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Goins?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.