2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Golestani
Family name derived from a village or town name in Iran.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Golestani. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Golestani 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Golestani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Golestani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Golestani
The surname GOLESTANI is of Persian origin and dates back to the medieval era in Persia, which is modern-day Iran. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Golestan, a province located in the north-eastern part of Iran. Golestan translates to "land of flowers" or "flower garden" in the Persian language, indicating that the name may have been associated with those who lived or worked in areas known for their lush gardens or floral landscapes.
The earliest known records of the surname GOLESTANI can be traced back to the 13th century, during the reign of the Ilkhanid dynasty in Persia. It is thought that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who hailed from or were associated with the Golestan region. Over time, as families and individuals migrated to other parts of Persia and beyond, the surname GOLESTANI became more widely dispersed.
One notable historical reference to the name GOLESTANI can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Saadi Shirazi (1210-1292 CE). In his literary works, Saadi mentions individuals bearing the surname GOLESTANI, suggesting that the name was in use during his lifetime in the 13th century.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GOLESTANI is Amir Golestani (1275-1349 CE), a Persian military commander and statesman who served under the Ilkhanid and Jalayirid dynasties. Another notable figure is Molla Sadra Golestani (1571-1640 CE), a prominent Iranian philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the field of Islamic philosophy.
Other historical figures bearing the surname GOLESTANI include:
1. Mirza Mohammad Golestani (1820-1890 CE), a renowned Persian calligrapher and painter during the Qajar era.
2. Mirza Hossein Khan Golestani (1835-1911 CE), a prominent Iranian diplomat and statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the late Qajar period.
3. Abdollah Golestani (1892-1965 CE), an Iranian political figure and one of the founders of the Tudeh Party, a communist party in Iran.
4. Mohammad Ali Golestani (1902-1975 CE), an Iranian linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of the Persian language and literature.
5. Parviz Golestani (1923-1996 CE), an acclaimed Iranian film director and screenwriter, known for his influential works in the Iranian New Wave cinema.
While the surname GOLESTANI has its roots in the historical Golestan region of Iran, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. The name continues to be associated with individuals of Persian or Iranian descent, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Golestani
Among Census respondents with the surname Golestani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Golestani 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 Golestani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 86
- Two or more races13.2% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Golestani
Golestani appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,944 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 Golestani 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 | #149,395 | #152,339 | -2.0% |
| Count | 110 | 106 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Golestani bearers went from 110 to 106 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,339.
FAQ
Golestani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Golestani?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Golestani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Golestani?
Golestani ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Golestani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Golestani.
Has Golestani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Golestani went from 110 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Golestani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Golestani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Golestani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Golestani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Two or More Races (13.2%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Golestani (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 Golestani mean?
Family name derived from a village or town name in Iran. 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 Golestani (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Golestani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.