Find out how popular the last name Auld is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Auld.

Auld, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Auld surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Auld in America

Auld is the 11290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Auld surname appeared 2,798 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Auld.

We can also compare 2010 data for Auld to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Auld

The surname AULD is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Middle English and Scots words "ald" or "auld," meaning "old." It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for an elderly person or as a means of distinguishing between individuals with the same given name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This document lists several individuals with the surname AULD, hailing from various regions across Scotland.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the AULD surname appeared in various Scottish records and documents, often associated with landholdings and local nobility. One notable figure was Sir Andrew AULD, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the AULD family gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. Records from this period show AULD families holding significant landholdings and estates in these areas.

One distinguished bearer of the name was Robert AULD (1572-1638), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Principal of Marischal College in Aberdeen. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Protestant Reformation and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Church of Scotland.

Another notable AULD was Sir Thomas AULD (1615-1693), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and later as a Lord of Session, one of the highest judicial positions in Scotland at the time.

In the 18th century, the AULD surname continued to be associated with Scottish landed gentry and clergy. Reverend Robert AULD (1701-1781), a Presbyterian minister in Ayrshire, was a renowned scholar and author of several theological works.

As the Scottish diaspora spread across the world, the AULD surname traveled with it. One prominent figure was John AULD (1786-1858), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.

Throughout history, the surname AULD has been spelled in various ways, including ALDE, AUDE, and AWDE, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. Despite these variations, the name's origins and meaning remained rooted in the Scottish heritage and the concept of "old age" or "antiquity."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Auld

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Auld.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Auld was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Auld has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Auld was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Auld, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!