2000
#8,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,478
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Goldenberg
A Jewish locational surname derived from various places named Goldberg, meaning "gold mountain" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,854 Americans carry the last name Goldenberg. That puts it at #9,290 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goldenberg 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 Goldenberg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,935
Census rank
#9,290
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,361 bearers of the surname Goldenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9290th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goldenberg
The surname Goldenberg is of Germanic origin, originating in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe during the Middle Ages. It is a combination of two words: "gold," meaning the precious metal, and "berg," meaning hill or mountain.
The earliest known record of the surname Goldenberg dates back to the 13th century in the area of modern-day Germany. It is believed to have been initially adopted by individuals who lived near or worked in areas associated with mining or processing gold.
In medieval times, surnames often derived from occupations, locations, or physical characteristics. The name Goldenberg likely referred to individuals who lived near a hill or mountain where gold was mined or worked.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Goldenberg can be found in the "Bairische Stammtafeln" (Bavarian Genealogical Tables), a collection of genealogical records from the 14th century. It mentions a Cunradus Goldenberg, a wealthy merchant from the town of Regensburg, Bavaria, who lived in the late 1300s.
Another notable figure with the surname Goldenberg was Hans Goldenberg, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1561. He was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and allegorical scenes.
In the 17th century, Johannes Goldenberg (1606-1667) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and professor of theology at the University of Rostock in Germany. He authored several influential works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Goldenberg (1809-1866) was a German-born American businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and became known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions in Philadelphia.
During the 20th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname Goldenberg was Samuel Goldenberg (1905-1993), a Polish-born American artist and sculptor. He was renowned for his abstract metal sculptures and his work can be found in numerous museums and public spaces across the United States.
The surname Goldenberg has since spread beyond its Germanic roots and can be found in various countries around the world, particularly in areas with significant German or Jewish populations. However, its origins can be traced back to the hills and mountains of Central Europe, where the name first emerged as a reference to those associated with the mining or processing of gold.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goldenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Goldenberg 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 Goldenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,121
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 148
- Two or more races1.2% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goldenberg
Goldenberg 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
#9,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,561
+83 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 466 places
2020
#9,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,361
-200 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,699 | 3,478 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,165 | 3,561 | 1.21 | +83 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 466 places |
| 2020 | #9,290 | 3,361 | 1.12 | -200 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 125 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 Goldenberg 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 | #9,165 | #9,290 | -1.4% |
| Count | 3,561 | 3,361 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.12 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goldenberg bearers went from 3,561 to 3,361 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,165 to #9,290.
FAQ
Goldenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goldenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,854 living Americans carry the surname Goldenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,935 residents.
How common is Goldenberg?
Goldenberg ranks #9,290 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,361 people with the surname Goldenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,854), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Goldenberg.
Has Goldenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goldenberg went from 3,561 recorded bearers to 3,361. That is a decrease of 200 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,165 to #9,290.
What does the Census say about the background of Goldenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goldenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goldenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Goldenberg (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 Goldenberg mean?
A Jewish locational surname derived from various places named Goldberg, meaning "gold mountain" in German. 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 Goldenberg (1.12 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 Goldenberg?
See how many people have the surname Goldenberg on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.