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

Golightly, 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 Golightly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Golightly in America

Golightly is the 13911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Golightly surname appeared 2,171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Golightly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Golightly 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 Golightly

The surname Golightly has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old English words "golde" and "leht," which together mean "dweller by the yellow wood" or "dweller near the golden clearing." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name lived near areas of woodland with abundant golden foliage or clearings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Golightly surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a "Willelmus Goldlith" is mentioned as a resident of Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time. Another early reference to the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1316, where a "Johannes Goldlighly" is listed.

In the 14th century, the surname was also recorded in several northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland. This suggests that the name may have originated in these regions before spreading to other parts of the country. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1673 list several Golightly families living in Yorkshire, indicating their continued presence in the area.

Notable individuals with the Golightly surname include Sir Thomas Golightly (c. 1535 - 1598), an English politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Northumberland. Another prominent figure was John Golightly (1712 - 1793), a renowned clockmaker from Newcastle upon Tyne, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy.

In the 19th century, Mary Golightly (1822 - 1894) gained recognition as a pioneering English female architect, designing several notable buildings in London. Edward Golightly (1846 - 1916), a successful industrialist from Yorkshire, was also a significant figure of his time, contributing to the region's economic growth.

One of the most famous bearers of the Golightly name was Charles Golightly (1879 - 1964), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and represented England in several Test matches. His exceptional batting skills earned him a place in cricketing history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Golightly

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

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

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

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