12 thoughts on “Learning – 4.”

      1. I think it’s lost in the fog of time.

        One source says “Probably an Americanized spelling of German Gohde or Godde.” Not true. It may have come from a German source, but the earliest common ancestor of most, if not all, Goads in America was Abraham Goad in the late 1600s in Richmond County, Virginia. He was probably an indentured immigrant. Once free of his indenture, he married Katherine Williams and became a landowner. Interestingly, every one of my Goad ancestors moved away from where they were born, mostly moving ever westward.

        Another source says, “The surname of Goad can be traced to the country of England, and is a dilalectical variant of the middle English word of “gote.” This surname is a topographical surname for someone who is a dweller by the watercourse of sluice. A topographical surname is used to describe someone who lived on or near a residential landmark.”

        Interestingly, in doing genealogical research years ago, I learned that the spelling was often Goard or Gourd in records. The reason for this was that the pronunciation by often illiterate people of English descent apparently had an “r” sound and those recording the information included the “r” in the spelling.
        Mike recently posted..My God! It’s Carl Mydans1

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