| Meaning | Son of Godse / Son of Gosse |
| Language | Dutch |
| Pronunciation | KHOH-sens |
| Distribution | Particularly common in the provinces of Limburg, North Brabant, and Zeeland, and in Flemish Belgium. Less common in the northern Netherlands. Carried to South Africa and North America through Dutch and Flemish emigration. |
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval Germanic given name Gosse or Godso, itself a diminutive of names beginning with God- (the divine) — such as Godfried or Godfrey. The name was common in medieval Flemish and Dutch-speaking communities. The double-s spelling Goossens is characteristic of the southern Netherlands and Flemish Belgium, where it remains among the most common surnames. In the northern Netherlands the variant Gosens or Goesens is more typical.
Particularly common in the provinces of Limburg, North Brabant, and Zeeland, and in Flemish Belgium. Less common in the northern Netherlands. Carried to South Africa and North America through Dutch and Flemish emigration.
Léon Goossens (1897–1988), British oboist of Belgian descent, one of the 20th century's most celebrated woodwind players. Also: Marie Goossens (1894–1991), harpist, his sister.
Goossens records are most densely concentrated in the Catholic parish registers of North Brabant and Limburg — unlike the more Reformed north, these provinces maintained Catholic records through the 17th and 18th centuries. The Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (BHIC) in 's-Hertogenbosch is the best starting point.
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