The Golden surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 49,360 people carried this name — #699 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,980 people counted. That is up 3% from 47,839 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Golden surname

As an English surname, from the adjective golden.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Golden» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Goldwin’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Roger le Gildene, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Golden, Golding and Goulden.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 324 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 24 births for the Golden name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,100 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 2 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Mayo, Sligo, Kerry, and Cork.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 15
Munster 7
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Golden was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Cambridgeshire: 20 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 500. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cambridgeshire 20
Norfolk 6

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Golden in American newspapers,
1875–1919.

Newspaper page from The Independent-reporter carrying the name Golden
The Independent-reporter 1919-12-18
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Golden
Daily Kennebec Journal 1906-08-10
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Bulletin carrying the name Golden
The New Orleans Bulletin 1875-10-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,961 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Golden in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

38,935 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Golden. The most, 6,544, date from the 1910s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,371
Victoria 9,025
Queensland 8,476
Western Australia 3,144
South Australia 2,890
Tasmania 1,560
ACT (Canberra) 355
Northern Territory 23

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Golden.

Who carried it

People named Golden,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Richard Golden
    Richard Golden 1854–1909 · actor
  • Billy Golden
    Billy Golden 1858–1926 · comedian
  • Marta Golden
    Marta Golden 1868–1943 · actor
  • Pop Golden
    Pop Golden 1868–1949 · head coach
  • George Fuller Golden
    George Fuller Golden 1868–1912
  • John Golden d. 1694 · privateer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Golden,
in the records of 10 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States6,538 records

6,538 records of the Golden name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,226
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,768
  • Other U.S. records 2,544
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Michael Golden

    Born 1949; from Westminster, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; died of wounds 1968 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Hugh H. Golden

    Born 1910 in Maine. Enlisted 1943 at Bangor; filling station attendant. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1985, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Rulina Golden

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Patricia from Hamburg, aged 19; farm laborer. From Glinik, Austria; bound for Hazleton.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 6,538 records for Golden in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia306 records

306 records of the Golden name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 125
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 59
  • Other Australian records 122
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Ellen Golden

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mexborough, sailing from Dublin in 1841. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Anne Golden

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the East London, sailing from Dublin in 1843. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Golden

    Arrived in Queensland in 1883 aboard the Hannah Landels, aged 28.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 306 records for Golden in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada143 records

143 records of the Golden name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 119
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 17
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Bertha Irene Golden

    Died 1995, aged 85; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Golden

    Buried in 1974 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 89.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Golden

    Died 1949 in Stillwater, Guysborough, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 143 records for Golden in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands52 records

52 records of the Golden name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 37
  • Dutch population registers 9
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 6
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Janna Berendina Golden

    Married in 1836 in Winterswijk.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Henrij Golden

    Married in 1869 in Kralingen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sibilla Katharina Gölden

    Married in 1927 in Tegelen.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 52 records for Golden in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany33 records

33 records of the Golden name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Andreas Golden

    From Hauptendorf, Kreis Höchstadt. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 October 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 135).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Peter Gölden

    From Untergollbach, Schleiden. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 23 March 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 30).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hellmuth Golden

    From Brachstedt, Saalkreis. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 12 December 1916.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Golden in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Norway30 records

30 records of the Golden name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Laura Golden

    Census of 1910: Golden, Id; day labourer, born 1862 in Sweden.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Jens Golden

    Census of 1910: Golden, Id; farmer, born 1877 in Id.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Kirstine Golden

    Census of 1910: Golden, Id; of independent means, born 1838 in Id.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Golden in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom17 records

17 records of the Golden name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Rhoda Mary Golden

    Will proved in 1936; of Toowooba, Queensland.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Golden

    Buried in 1794 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 19.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record M. Golden

    Gunner, South Wales Borderers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Golden in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland4 records

4 records of the Golden name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Golden

    Died 1947, aged 64; buried at Templetogher, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Vincent Golden

    Died 2000, aged 42; buried at Carraroe, Williamstown, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Golden in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Golden name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record David Lawrence Golden

    Born 1947 in Canada; died 1986 in Canada.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Francois Jean-Marie Golden

    Born 1956 in Saint-Claude (Jura); died 1998 in Fontain (Doubs).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Golden in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Golden name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kathleen Winifred Golden

    Died 1959, aged 54; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Golden.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Golden is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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