Goldy
A feminine derivative of the word "gold," suggesting radiance or golden hue.
Name Census estimates that about 1,462 living Americans carry the first name Goldy. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Goldy today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Goldy births was 2023 (98 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Goldy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Goldy is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 234,442 Americans
Peak year
2023
98 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,531
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Goldy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Goldy from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 465 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Goldy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Goldy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Goldys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Goldy
The name Goldy is derived from the Old English word "golde," meaning "gold." It is a name that has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture and was initially used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with golden hair or a bright, sunny complexion.
In the medieval period, Goldy was occasionally used as a given name, but it was more common as a surname or a descriptive epithet. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, where a person named "Goldy" is listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire.
During the Renaissance period, the name Goldy gained popularity as a secular given name, particularly among the wealthy and noble classes who appreciated its association with precious metals and opulence. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Goldy Deykin (1520-1587) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist in the city of London.
In the 18th century, the name Goldy was used occasionally in literary works, such as in the novel "The Vicar of Wakefield" by Oliver Goldsmith, where a character named Goldy appears as a wealthy landlord. Another notable bearer of the name was Goldy Luker (1740-1810), a British explorer and adventurer who documented his travels in the American colonies.
During the 19th century, the name Goldy experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the United States. One notable figure was Goldy Semple (1825-1897), an American pioneer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the settlement of California. Another was Goldy Fitzpatrick (1855-1932), a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several landmarks in New York City.
In the 20th century, the name Goldy continued to be used, though less frequently than in previous eras. One notable bearer was Goldy Steinberg (1910-1995), a Polish-American author and Holocaust survivor who wrote extensively about her experiences during World War II.
People
Goldy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Goldy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Goldy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Goldy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Goldy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 234,442 US residents.
Is Goldy a common name?
We classify Goldy as "Rare". It ranks above 92.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,571 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Goldy most popular?
The single biggest year for Goldy was 2023, when 98 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Goldy is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Goldy a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Goldy in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.