2000
#81,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Golatt
A surname derived from a Hebrew name meaning "immigrant" or "stranger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 319 Americans carry the last name Golatt. That puts it at #74,891 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,074,465 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Golatt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
319
1 in 1,074,465
Census rank
#74,891
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
278
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 278 bearers of the surname Golatt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 74891st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Golatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Golatt
The surname GOLATT originated in the region of Saxony, Germany in the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "golde" meaning "golden" and "latte" meaning "wooden slat" or "bar." This suggests the name may have referred to someone who worked with golden-colored wood or lived near a prominent wooden structure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dated around 1245. An entry mentions a "Heinricus Golatt" who was a landowner in the village of Naumburg.
The name can also be found in the Urbarium of Meissen from 1390, which was a register of properties and landholdings in the region. This document lists a "Johannes Golatt" as a tenant farmer in the village of Zschaitz.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named Hans Golatt (1420-1488) was a master carpenter and woodworker based in the city of Leipzig. He is credited with constructing several intricate wooden structures, including the ornate pulpit in the St. Thomas Church.
Another historical figure was Margarethe Golatt (1501-1572), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from the town of Bautzen. She donated a significant portion of her estate to establish a hospital and orphanage that still bears her name today.
During the 16th century, the Golatt name appears to have spread to neighboring regions of Germany, with records showing individuals in cities like Dresden and Chemnitz. One notable example is Matthias Golatt (1550-1622), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Freiberg.
While the surname GOLATT is not as common today, it continues to hold historical significance, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, where it has its deepest roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Golatt
Among Census respondents with the surname Golatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Golatt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Golatt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.9% · 250
- Two or more races4.7% · 13
- White2.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Golatt
Golatt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#69,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 282
+66 bearers (+30.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 11,835 places
2020
#74,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 278
-4 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 5,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,414 | 216 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,579 | 282 | 0.10 | +66 bearers (+30.6%) | Up 11,835 places |
| 2020 | #74,891 | 278 | 0.09 | -4 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 5,312 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Golatt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #69,579 | #74,891 | -7.6% |
| Count | 282 | 278 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.09 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Golatt bearers went from 282 to 278 (-1.4% change). The surname moved down 5,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,579 to #74,891.
FAQ
Golatt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Golatt?
Name Census estimates that about 319 living Americans carry the surname Golatt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,074,465 residents.
How common is Golatt?
Golatt ranks #74,891 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 278 people with the surname Golatt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Golatt.
Has Golatt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Golatt went from 282 recorded bearers to 278. That is a decrease of 4 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #69,579 to #74,891.
What does the Census say about the background of Golatt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Golatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Golatt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Golatt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%), White (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Golatt (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Golatt mean?
A surname derived from a Hebrew name meaning "immigrant" or "stranger". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Golatt (0.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Golatt?
You can see how many people have the surname Golatt on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.