The name "Gosforth" is first recorded in the Red Book of the Exchequer, A.D.1166 as Goseford

Ekwall (Dictionary of English Place-names, 1936, 1960) gives the derivation from Old English gos(a) ford - 'the goose ford' or 'the ford associated with geese'.

gosa is the Old English word for a goose. Gosa as a personal name is possible but unlikely.

ford is the Old English word for a ford. The change to forth occurred in the northern dialect of Middle English.