2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goltl
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning "rich person".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Goltl. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goltl 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Goltl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goltl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goltl
The surname Goltl has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "golte," meaning "gold," and was likely an occupational name given to goldsmiths or those who worked with gold.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goltl can be found in the parish records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the northern Bavarian region of Germany. The entry, dated 1586, mentions a certain Johannes Goltl, a goldsmith by trade.
In the 17th century, the name Goltl appeared in various documents from the city of Nuremberg, a renowned center for metalworking and goldsmithing during the Renaissance era. One notable individual from this period was Hans Goltl (1592-1665), a master goldsmith whose intricate works were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
As the years passed, the name Goltl spread across other regions of Germany, with many bearers of the name establishing themselves as respected artisans and craftsmen. In the 19th century, a family of Goltls from the town of Bamberg in Bavaria gained recognition for their expertise in creating ornate gold and silver religious artifacts.
One prominent figure from this family was Johann Goltl (1801-1879), whose exquisite craftsmanship earned him commissions from several churches and monasteries throughout Europe. His son, Wilhelm Goltl (1838-1912), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned goldsmith in his own right.
Another notable individual bearing the Goltl surname was Friedrich Goltl (1876-1949), a German painter and sculptor who was part of the Expressionist movement in the early 20th century. His works, often featuring vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes, were heavily influenced by his experiences during World War I.
While the Goltl surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a testament to the rich history of German metalworking and the skilled artisans who dedicated their lives to their craft.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goltl
Among Census respondents with the surname Goltl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Goltl 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 Goltl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goltl
Goltl 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Goltl 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goltl bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Goltl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goltl?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Goltl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Goltl?
Goltl ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Goltl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Goltl.
Has Goltl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goltl went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Goltl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goltl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Goltl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goltl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Black (2.7%). 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 Goltl (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 Goltl mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic word meaning "rich 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 Goltl (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 people share the surname Goltl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.