Introduction Page

Welcome to
The Goshorn Family History Web Site

Welcome to our home page. I first posted this site March 27th, 1997. This family history site is the most comprehensive collection of Goshorn family names anywhere. Starting about 1593, four generations in Germany, to the present. Our family came to the United States in 1750. We have documented over 39,000 names total.

The Origin of the name Goshorn

The name Goshorn evolved in America after the arrival in Pennsylvania in August 1750 of Johann Gorg Gansshorn of Bammental, Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, with his wife and several children. The name Gansshorn is thought to have evolved in the 1600s after the Thirty Years War from the Swiss name Gamshorn, which has been interpreted to mean a "horn of a chamois-buck." Gans in German also means goose, resulting in immigrant George Gansshorn being named George Goosehorn by his English predecessors in York County, where he first settled in this country. Some have interpreted the name to indicate it originated from a mountain in Switzerland. Others suggest the first Gansshorn earned his living through writings, since goose quills were used as pens. Others thought perhaps the first Gansshorn had a big bump on his nose, like a male goose. Immigrant George himself was a baker. In any event, over time in America, Gansshorn became Goosehorn, then Gooshorn, and then Goshorn. The name also has been subjected to various misspellings, such as Goshern and Gosorn. Today, the name is normally pronounced Goss/horn. -- Eugene Raymond Goshorn

On 05/10/2009 I received an email from Elizaveta Johann, who believed that we had a common ancestor in Georg Bernhard Ganzhorn (b; 1747). Much to my pleasant surprise, she told me Georg had moved his family from Germany to Russia in 1764 settling in Anton. This is the first I have heard of our family moving from Germany to Russia. She sent me data of her direct line from Georg to herself, which I have now included. Welcome, Liza and relatives, to our every growing multinational family.

Please check out our site, and if you would like to contact me please send an e-mail to: floyd.goshorn@hotmail.com