2000
#6,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Golding
Derived from an Old English nickname meaning "the golden-haired one" or referring to someone with gold or wealth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,924 Americans carry the last name Golding. That puts it at #6,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Golding 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 Golding with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 57,859
Census rank
#6,330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,166 bearers of the surname Golding in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Golding, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Golding
Among Census respondents with the surname Golding, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Golding 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 Golding surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.5% · 3,693
- Black or African American19.5% · 1,006
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 200
- Two or more races3.0% · 156
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Golding
Golding 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
#6,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,321
+257 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 173 places
2020
#6,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,166
-155 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Up 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,221 | 5,064 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,394 | 5,321 | 1.80 | +257 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 173 places |
| 2020 | #6,330 | 5,166 | 1.73 | -155 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 64 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 Golding 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 | #6,394 | #6,330 | 1.0% |
| Count | 5,321 | 5,166 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.73 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Golding bearers went from 5,321 to 5,166 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,394 to #6,330.
FAQ
Golding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Golding?
Name Census estimates that about 5,924 living Americans carry the surname Golding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,859 residents.
How common is Golding?
Golding ranks #6,330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,166 people with the surname Golding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Golding.
Has Golding become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Golding went from 5,321 recorded bearers to 5,166. That is a decrease of 155 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,394 to #6,330.
What does the Census say about the background of Golding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Golding, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Golding in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.5% (3,693 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Golding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.5%), Black (19.5%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Golding (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 Golding mean?
Derived from an Old English nickname meaning "the golden-haired one" or referring to someone with 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 Golding (1.73 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 have the surname Golding?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.