Find out how popular the last name Golay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Golay.
A French surname derived from the Occitan word "golayo," meaning "clearing in the woods."
Golay, 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 Golay surname is from the 2010 census data.
Golay is the 31001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Golay surname appeared 749 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Golay.
We can also compare 2010 data for Golay 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 31001 | 31167 | -0.53% |
| Count | 749 | 704 | 6.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.26 | -3.92% |
The surname Golay originated in France, specifically in the regions of Franche-Comté and Burgundy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "golu," meaning "greedy" or "gluttonous." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a hearty appetite.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Golay can be found in the municipal archives of Besançon, dating back to the 16th century. In 1567, a certain Jean Golay was mentioned as a resident of the city.
In the 17th century, the name Golay appeared in various historical records, such as baptismal registers and land deeds. For instance, in 1623, a Nicolas Golay was recorded as the owner of a vineyard in the village of Arbois, located in the Jura region of eastern France.
During the 18th century, the Golay family seemed to have spread across different parts of France. In 1782, a Pierre Golay was born in the town of Baume-les-Dames, which is situated in the Franche-Comté region. He later became a renowned clockmaker and is considered one of the most notable individuals bearing this surname.
Another significant figure was Jean-Gabriel Golay, a Swiss mathematician and engineer born in 1930 in Neuchâtel. He made significant contributions to the field of information theory and is best known for his work on the Golay codes, which are used in digital communications and error-correction algorithms.
In the 19th century, the Golay surname gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of Gabriel Golay in 1864 in Lyon, France. He was a celebrated poet and writer, known for his works that celebrated the beauty of nature and the rural life of his native region.
Furthermore, the name Golay has been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the village of Golay-en-Morvan in Burgundy is believed to have derived its name from the presence of the Golay family in the area during the Middle Ages.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the surname Golay have been observed over time, such as Gollay, Gollaye, and Goulay. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent throughout its historical journey.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Golay.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Golay was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 87.45% | 655 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 4.54% | 34 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 2.67% | 20 |
| Hispanic Origin | 4.01% | 30 |
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 Golay has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.45% | 91.19% | -4.19% |
| Black | 4.54% | 4.26% | 6.36% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 2.67% | 0.85% | 103.41% |
| Hispanic | 4.01% | 2.70% | 39.05% |
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 Golay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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