2000
#648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,839
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.73
Uncommon Last name
Golden
A surname referring to someone with blond hair, a cheerful disposition, or a connection to gold or wealth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 54,507 Americans carry the last name Golden. That puts it at #702 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,288 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Golden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Golden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
55K
1 in 6,288
Census rank
#702
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
48K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 47,533 bearers of the surname Golden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 702nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Golden, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Golden
The surname Golden is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gylden," meaning "golden" or "gilded." This surname likely originated as a descriptive name, referring to someone with golden hair or a fair complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Golden surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a certain Robert Golden is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during the latter part of the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Golden surname appeared in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William Golden is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of the country by that time.
During the 14th century, the Golden surname continued to be documented in various historical records. For instance, in 1379, a John Golden is mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire. Additionally, the Cartularium Monasterij de Rameseia, a 14th-century manuscript from the Ramsey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, includes references to individuals with the Golden surname.
Prominent figures with the Golden surname throughout history include Sir Thomas Golden (1508-1586), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure is Edward Golden (1624-1701), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Sudbury.
The Golden surname also has connections to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Golden Green in Kent, which may have influenced the development of the surname in that region.
Other notable individuals with the Golden surname include John Golden (1875-1935), an American theatrical producer and manager who was instrumental in the development of Broadway theatre. Additionally, there is Harry Golden (1902-1981), an American humorist and author known for his satirical works on Jewish life in the American South.
It is worth noting that the Golden surname has undergone various spelling variations over time, such as Golding, Goulden, and Goulding, among others. These variations often reflect regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Golden
Among Census respondents with the surname Golden, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Golden 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 Golden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.0% · 34,231
- Black or African American19.1% · 9,085
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,938
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,570
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 361
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 348
Timeline
Historical Census data for Golden
Golden 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
#699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,360
+1,521 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 16.73
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,533
-1,827 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 15.90
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #648 | 47,839 | 17.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #699 | 49,360 | 16.73 | +1,521 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #702 | 47,533 | 15.90 | -1,827 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 3 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 Golden 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 | #699 | #702 | -0.4% |
| Count | 49,360 | 47,533 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 16.73 | 15.90 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Golden bearers went from 49,360 to 47,533 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #699 to #702.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Golden
FAQ
Golden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Golden?
Name Census estimates that about 54,507 living Americans carry the surname Golden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,288 residents.
How common is Golden?
Golden ranks #702 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 47,533 people with the surname Golden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (54,507), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Golden.
Has Golden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Golden went from 49,360 recorded bearers to 47,533. That is a decrease of 1,827 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #699 to #702.
What does the Census say about the background of Golden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Golden, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Golden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.0% (34,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Golden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.0%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Golden (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 Golden mean?
A surname referring to someone with blond hair, a cheerful disposition, or a connection to gold or wealth. 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 Golden (15.90 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 Golden?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Golden on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.