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

Goldman, 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 Goldman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goldman in America

Goldman is the 1495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goldman surname appeared 23,940 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Goldman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goldman 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 Goldman

Goldman is a Jewish surname of German origin, derived from the German words "gold" meaning gold, and "mann" meaning man. The name likely originated in the late Middle Ages or Renaissance period, referring to someone who worked with gold or was involved in the goldsmith trade.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Goldman surname date back to the 16th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Franconia. Some of the earliest documented references can be found in historical records such as tax rolls, guild registries, and church records.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Goldman name began to spread across other parts of Europe, including Poland, Russia, and the Netherlands, often being adopted by Jewish families who migrated to these regions. Variations in spelling, such as Goldmann, Goldman, and Goltman, were also common during this time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Goldman surname was Jacob Goldman, a prominent goldsmith who lived in Nuremberg, Germany in the late 16th century. His work was highly regarded, and he is mentioned in several historical accounts of the city's artisans and craftsmen.

Another notable Goldman was Samuel Goldman, a Jewish scholar and writer who lived in Prague in the early 17th century. He authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy, and his writings were widely influential in the Jewish intellectual circles of his time.

In the 19th century, the Goldman name gained further recognition with the rise of several prominent figures, including Marcus Goldman, a German-born banker who co-founded the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in 1869 in New York City (1821-1904).

Other notable individuals with the Goldman surname include Emma Goldman, a Russian-born anarchist and political activist who played a pivotal role in the labor movement in the United States (1869-1940), and Harry Goldman, an American songwriter and composer known for his contributions to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway (1904-1981).

Throughout its history, the Goldman surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, scholars, and businessmen, further solidifying its place as a distinctive and storied Jewish surname with deep roots in German and European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goldman

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

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

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

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