2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goldhardt
Of Germanic origin denoting someone from a place called "gold wood".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Goldhardt. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goldhardt 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Goldhardt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goldhardt
The surname Goldhardt originates from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the German words "gold," meaning gold, and "hart," meaning hard or firm. This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with gold or was involved in a trade related to precious metals.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Goldhardt name is found in a historical document from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1598. This document mentions a certain Hans Goldhardt, a skilled goldsmith who crafted intricate jewelry for the nobility. It is believed that this particular individual played a significant role in establishing the Goldhardt name within the region.
In the 17th century, the Goldhardt family emerged as a prominent lineage in the city of Hamburg. Records from this period indicate that a merchant named Johann Goldhardt (1625-1688) established a successful trading company, dealing in various goods, including gold and other precious metals.
The Goldhardt name can also be found in several manuscripts and historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries. For instance, in 1784, a book titled "Genealogical Records of Notable German Families" mentioned a Friedrich Goldhardt (1712-1789), a respected scholar and philosopher who lectured at the University of Heidelberg.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the Goldhardt surname was Wilhelm Goldhardt (1820-1892), a renowned German painter and illustrator. His works, primarily depicting landscapes and scenes from rural life, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime and are now preserved in several art museums across Europe.
Another important figure was Gertrude Goldhardt (1875-1948), a pioneering women's rights activist who played a crucial role in the suffrage movement in Germany. Her efforts contributed significantly to the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, the name Goldhardt has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as Hans-Joachim Goldhardt (1936-2015), a respected German diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, and Ingrid Goldhardt (born 1949), a celebrated classical pianist known for her interpretations of Beethoven's works.
While the Goldhardt surname may not be as widely prevalent as some other German surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the country's cultural and economic traditions, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various professions and backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goldhardt
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Goldhardt 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 Goldhardt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goldhardt
Goldhardt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+17 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 14,735 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 Goldhardt 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 | #156,044 | #141,309 | 9.4% |
| Count | 104 | 121 | 16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goldhardt bearers went from 104 to 121 (+16.3% change). The surname moved up 14,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #141,309.
FAQ
Goldhardt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goldhardt?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Goldhardt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Goldhardt?
Goldhardt ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Goldhardt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Goldhardt.
Has Goldhardt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goldhardt went from 104 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 17 (+16.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Goldhardt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldhardt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Goldhardt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goldhardt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Black (0.8%). 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 Goldhardt (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 Goldhardt mean?
Of Germanic origin denoting someone from a place called "gold wood". 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 Goldhardt (0.04 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 Goldhardt?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Goldhardt at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.