Golder last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Golder

A surname derived from the Old French "gaudier" meaning a dyer of yellow or golden fabrics.

Golder, 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 Golder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Golder in America

Golder is the 15442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Golder surname appeared 1,897 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 Golder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Golder 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 15442 15299 0.93%
Count 1,897 1,763 7.32%
Proportion per 100k 0.64 0.65 -1.55%

The history of the last name Golder

The surname Golder is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the regions of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "golde," which referred to a bright yellow color or the precious metal gold. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to someone who worked with gold, such as a goldsmith or a miner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Golder surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a person named Robert le Golder is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "le Golder," reflects the Norman French influence on English surnames during that time.

The name Golder is also believed to have been associated with certain place names, such as Golder's Green in Middlesex and Golder's Hill in London. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself, or they could have influenced the surname's development in those regions.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Golder surname. One example is Sir Thomas Golder (1570-1628), an English merchant and politician who served as the Governor of the East India Company from 1622 to 1623.

Another prominent figure was William Golder (1601-1672), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Brightwell, Berkshire. He is known for his work "A Discourse of the Whole Art of Curing," published in 1668.

In the 18th century, John Golder (1719-1795) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was awarded a baronetcy in 1786.

Thomas Golder (1794-1859) was a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects in London, including the Royal Opera Arcade and the Lowther Arcade.

In the field of literature, Sarah Golder (1809-1895) was an English novelist and playwright known for her works such as "The Heir of Lambourne" and "The Coquette."

While these are just a few examples, the Golder surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and various fields, reflecting its enduring presence in England and the broader English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Golder

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

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 Golder was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 80.50% 1,527
Non-Hispanic Black Only 14.71% 279
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.00% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% 6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.63% 31
Hispanic Origin 1.85% 35

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 Golder has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 80.50% 82.87% -2.90%
Black 14.71% 14.24% 3.25%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.00% 0.79% 23.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.63% 1.30% 22.53%
Hispanic 1.85% (S)% (S)%

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 Golder was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Golder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/golder-surname-popularity/.

"Golder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/golder-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Golder last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/golder-surname-popularity/.

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