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

Golding, 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 Golding surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Golding in America

Golding is the 6394th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Golding surname appeared 5,321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Golding.

We can also compare 2010 data for Golding 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.

The history of the last name Golding

The surname Golding originates from England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "golde," meaning "golden" or "yellow," suggesting that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname for someone with golden hair or a fair complexion.

The earliest known record of the name Golding can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1176, where a person named Goldingus is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Goldinge, Goldynge, and Guldyng, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time.

The Golding surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most prominent figures was Arthur Golding (c. 1536-1606), an English translator known for his translations of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and Caesar's "Commentaries." His work significantly influenced English literature and language during the Renaissance period.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Edward Golding (1617-1693), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Solicitor-General during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, John Golding (1729-1805) was a renowned English writer and antiquarian who published several works on the history and antiquities of various English counties.

The 19th century saw the prominence of Samuel Golding (1826-1890), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early typewriters and mechanical calculators.

More recently, the name Golding gained literary fame through the British novelist William Golding (1911-1993), best known for his acclaimed novel "Lord of the Flies," for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983.

While the Golding surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British migration and colonization. Today, the name can be found in various countries, reflecting the global diaspora of English families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Golding

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

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 Golding was:

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

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

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

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