2000
#13,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,092
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Golightly
A playful surname derived from a nickname for a lighthearted, carefree, or agile person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,471 Americans carry the last name Golightly. That puts it at #13,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Golightly 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Golightly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,711
Census rank
#13,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,155 bearers of the surname Golightly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Golightly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Golightly
Among Census respondents with the surname Golightly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Golightly 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 Golightly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 1,678
- Black or African American11.3% · 244
- Two or more races5.2% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Golightly
Golightly 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
#13,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,171
+79 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 552 places
2020
#13,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,155
-16 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,359 | 2,092 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,911 | 2,171 | 0.74 | +79 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 552 places |
| 2020 | #13,493 | 2,155 | 0.72 | -16 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 418 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 Golightly 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 | #13,911 | #13,493 | 3.0% |
| Count | 2,171 | 2,155 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.72 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Golightly bearers went from 2,171 to 2,155 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 418 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,911 to #13,493.
FAQ
Golightly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Golightly?
Name Census estimates that about 2,471 living Americans carry the surname Golightly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,711 residents.
How common is Golightly?
Golightly ranks #13,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,155 people with the surname Golightly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Golightly.
Has Golightly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Golightly went from 2,171 recorded bearers to 2,155. That is a decrease of 16 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,911 to #13,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Golightly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Golightly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Golightly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (1,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Golightly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (11.3%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Golightly (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 Golightly mean?
A playful surname derived from a nickname for a lighthearted, carefree, or agile person. 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 Golightly (0.72 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 Golightly?
You can see how many people are called Golightly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.