Gof as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gof

What is the meaning of the name Gof ?

The baby name Gof is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /ɡɔv/ (Welsh, approx. "gov" with 'o' like in 'thought'),/ɡɒf/ or /ɡɔːf/ (Anglicized, approx. "gof" rhyming with 'off' or 'golf' without the l).

Gof is Cornish, Welsh in Origin.

Rooted in the Brythonic Celtic lexicon, Gof is the Welsh word for “smith,” denoting a metalworker or artisan. It aligns with Cornish gof and Breton gov, and traces to Proto‑Celtic *goben- (cf. Old Irish gobae, Modern Irish/Scottish Gaelic gobha). The name also echoes Welsh myth through Gofannon, the divine smith related to Irish Goibniu, reinforcing associations of craftsmanship, skill, and transformative fire.

Usage began as an occupational byname and surname in medieval Wales (e.g., ap Gof), with parallels in Cornwall and Brittany: Michael Joseph “An Gof” led the Cornish uprising of 1497, and Breton ar gov likewise means “the smith.” As a given name, Gof remains rare but has seen modern revival in Wales and Cornwall, sometimes chosen as a concise, gender-neutral word-name. Variants and related forms include Goff (surname-derived), Breton Gov, Cornish An Gof (epithetic), and the longer Welsh Gofannon. Meaning: “smith; metalworker.”