2000
#69,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Goliday
A surname derived from a combination of the English words "gold" and "day," suggesting potential origins as a nickname or location reference.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 414 Americans carry the last name Goliday. That puts it at #60,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 827,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goliday 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
414
1 in 827,909
Census rank
#60,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
361
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 361 bearers of the surname Goliday in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goliday, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goliday
The surname GOLIDAY has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gol" meaning "yellow" and "day" referring to a specific day or time period. The name likely originated as a descriptive moniker for someone with fair or yellow hair or complexion during a particular season or day.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOLIDAY name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Richard Golyday. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, listing a John Golyday as a landowner in the village of Sharnbrook.
In the 14th century, the name GOLIDAY appeared in various forms such as Golyday, Golyday, and Golliday, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable record is the Register of the Freemen of York from 1379, which includes a John Golyday admitted as a Freeman.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the GOLIDAY name was found in several parishes across England, particularly in Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, and Oxfordshire. Notable individuals from this period include William Goliday (1592-1662), a landowner and farmer in the village of Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, and Thomas Goliday (1618-1688), a merchant and alderman in the city of Oxford.
In the 18th century, the GOLIDAY name continued to be present in various parts of England. One prominent figure was Sir John Goliday (1712-1789), a wealthy landowner and magistrate in Gloucestershire. Another notable individual was Mary Goliday (1738-1802), a renowned writer and poet from Warwickshire.
The 19th century saw the GOLIDAY name spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and even abroad. One example is James Goliday (1823-1897), a Scottish-born explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and the Americas. Another notable figure was Sir William Goliday (1845-1912), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the city of Bath.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goliday
Among Census respondents with the surname Goliday, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Goliday 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 Goliday surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.4% · 330
- White4.2% · 15
- Two or more races3.0% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goliday
Goliday 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
#70,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 279
+17 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 354 places
2020
#60,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 361
+82 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 9,913 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,854 | 262 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #70,208 | 279 | 0.09 | +17 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 354 places |
| 2020 | #60,295 | 361 | 0.12 | +82 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 9,913 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 Goliday 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 | #70,208 | #60,295 | 14.1% |
| Count | 279 | 361 | 29.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.12 | 34.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goliday bearers went from 279 to 361 (+29.4% change). The surname moved up 9,913 positions in the national ranking, going from #70,208 to #60,295.
FAQ
Goliday surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goliday?
Name Census estimates that about 414 living Americans carry the surname Goliday. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 827,909 residents.
How common is Goliday?
Goliday ranks #60,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 361 people with the surname Goliday. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Goliday.
Has Goliday become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goliday went from 279 recorded bearers to 361. That is an increase of 82 (+29.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #70,208 to #60,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Goliday?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goliday, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Goliday in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (330 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goliday appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.4%), White (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Goliday (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 Goliday mean?
A surname derived from a combination of the English words "gold" and "day," suggesting potential origins as a nickname or location reference. 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 Goliday (0.12 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 common is the surname Goliday?
Want to know how many people have the surname Goliday? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.