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

Goldstone, 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 Goldstone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goldstone in America

Goldstone is the 24874th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goldstone surname appeared 1,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Goldstone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goldstone 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 Goldstone

The surname Goldstone is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the name of a specific place or location. One possible origin is that it referred to people who lived near a gold-bearing stream or river, with the name reflecting the presence of gold-colored stones or minerals in the area.

Another theory suggests that Goldstone may have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with gold, such as a goldsmith or a jeweler. This would have been a respected and skilled profession during the Middle Ages, and it's possible that the name was initially given to someone who excelled in this trade.

Historically, the name Goldstone can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named William Goldstone is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which mention a John Goldstone. This indicates that the surname had spread to different regions of England by this time.

Notable individuals with the surname Goldstone include:

1. Thomas Goldstone (c. 1570-1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
2. John Goldstone (1580-1653), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Buckingham during the 17th century.
3. Richard Goldstone (born 1938), a renowned South African jurist and former judge who served on the Constitutional Court of South Africa and led several international investigations into human rights violations.
4. Rebecca Goldstone (born 1950), an American philosopher and cognitive scientist known for her work on concepts and conceptual change.
5. Jack Goldstone (born 1957), an American sociologist and political scientist who has studied revolutions and social movements.

While the surname Goldstone has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and various European countries. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it likely emerged as a locational or occupational surname reflecting the presence of gold-bearing resources or the trade of goldsmithing.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goldstone

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

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

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

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