Goldwyn
A Jewish surname based on the German words "gold" and "win" meaning golden meadow or field.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Goldwyn. That puts it at #95,955 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goldwyn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#95,955
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
190
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 190 bearers of the surname Goldwyn in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95955th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldwyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goldwyn
The surname Goldwyn is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "golde" meaning "gold" and "wyn" meaning "friend" or "protector." This suggests that the name may have been given as a descriptive surname to someone who was regarded as a valuable friend or protector.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a Thomas Goldwyn was listed as a resident in 1587. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1673, which recorded households subject to a tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces they had, indicating that families bearing the Goldwyn surname had established themselves as landowners or tenants by this time.
In the 17th century, the name Goldwyn began appearing in various legal documents and court records. A notable example is the case of John Goldwyn, who was mentioned in the Court of Star Chamber records in 1635 for his involvement in a dispute over land ownership. This suggests that the Goldwyn family had gained a certain degree of prominence and wealth by this period.
The Goldwyn surname was also found in the parish records of several villages in Yorkshire, including Hutton Rudby, where a Thomas Goldwyn was recorded as a landowner in 1692. This indicates that the name had spread across the county and was associated with both urban and rural communities.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Goldwyn was William Goldwyn, born in 1721 in the village of Easingwold, Yorkshire. He later became a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the Goldwyn surname for several generations.
Another notable figure was Samuel Goldwyn, born in 1882 in Warsaw, Poland, to a Jewish family whose original surname was Gelbfisz. He later changed his name to Goldwyn, possibly inspired by the English surname, and went on to become a successful film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios in Hollywood.
Other individuals with the Goldwyn surname include:
1. John Goldwyn (1801-1879), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Leeds, Yorkshire.
2. Samuel L. Goldwyn Jr. (1919-2005), an American film producer and the son of the aforementioned Samuel Goldwyn.
3. Lili Goldwyn (born 1984), an American film producer and author, descended from the Goldwyn family.
4. Toby Goldwyn (born 1975), a British actor and filmmaker.
5. Thomas Goldwyn (1687-1758), a merchant and landowner from Northallerton, Yorkshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goldwyn
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldwyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Goldwyn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Goldwyn surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7%
- Hispanic or Latino3.2%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Goldwyn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #95,955 | #95,955 | 0.0% |
| Count | 190 | 190 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Goldwyn bearers went from 190 to 190 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #95,955 to #95,955.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Goldwyn
FAQ
Goldwyn surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Goldwyn?
The surname Goldwyn holds position #95,955 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 206 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Goldwyn surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goldwyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.