Goethe (also
Göthe) is a
German surname. It is best known for
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). It belongs to the group of surnames derived from given names, in this case given names in
Got-, in most cases likely
Gottfried (c.f.
Götz). Variants of the surname include
Göth,
Goeth and
Göthke,
Götke.