surname help
Does anyone know where the surname 'Gould' comes from? I know it's Irish, but that's about it.
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Not necessarily Irish, there are English and Scottish Goulds and the name probably originated in England. It is a version of the word gold and probably refers to someone with golden hair. However Reaney and Wilson cite an instance of a man in Somerset named Thomas withe Gold, suggesting that this form identifies a wealthy man.
The Irish Goulds were an important family in Cork. There is an Irish language version of the name, i.e., Gúl.
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