Goetze Name Origin and Family Crest

Goetze and Goetz are two spellings with one history. The family name meaning is “Short form of Gottfried”, the same as for Goetz. The extra “e” in Goetze is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: Goetzens, Getz and Götz.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Goetze with 791 bearers, at rank 29,740. Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Götze.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Goetz surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. For the full story, order the Goetze surname pack.