Götze

Götze is a surname of German origin. It is a diminutive form of the given name Gotthard, which means "strong god" or "brave god." The surname may have originally referred to someone who was a servant of a person named Gotthard, or it could have been a patronymic derived from the name. Variations of the surname include Götte, Götzen, and Göttsch.

Notable individuals with the surname Götze include:

Mario Götze is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt and the Germany national team. He is widely recognized for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.

Other notable bearers of the name might exist in various fields of endeavor, contributing to different aspects of culture, science, or other professions. The prevalence of the surname is most common in German-speaking countries.

The etymology of the name suggests a historical connection to the personal name Gotthard, indicating a lineage or origin tied to that specific given name. Over time, such surnames became hereditary, passed down through generations. The distribution of the surname Götze reflects historical migration patterns and settlement areas of German-speaking populations.