Willgoose

Willgoose is an English surname originating from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Wilgils", composed of the elements "wil", meaning "desire" or "will", and "-gils", a rare but of Ancient Germanic origin, meaning "hostage". The suffix "gate" signifies a street, road, or way, and is one of the "locative" surnames indicating a patrilinial link with a particular place.

The variations in spelling of the surname Willgoose include Willigose, Wilgeose, Wilgos, Wilgis, Vilgeous, Vilgouse, Wylgoose, and Wylgose. The first recorded mention of the name is in the early 13th Century. The name is distributed mainly across Yorkshire, Lancashire and the West Midlands regions.

Notable individuals with the Willgoose surname include (hypothetical names):

  • Sarah Willgoose (b. 1985) - Acclaimed novelist and playwright.
  • Daniel Willgoose (1812-1898) - Influential industrialist and philanthropist from Liverpool.

As with many surnames of English origin, the name Willgoose provides insights into the cultural and social history of families in Britain.

There are approximately 86 people named Willgoose in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Willgoose.

Typical given names associated with the surname

Male

  • Adrian

Female

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

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