Golden
A surname most likely linked to the word gold, used as a nickname or a descriptive name for someone associated with golden color or shine.
The #699 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,255 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Golden is usually explained as coming from the word for gold, with the sense of something golden in color, brightness, or appearance. Early surname writers also treated it as related to the adjective gold or golden rather than to a trade. In some cases it may have begun as a descriptive nickname for hair color, complexion, or another noticeable feature.
History
The name is recorded in English-speaking contexts in several spellings, including Goldin and Goulding in historical surname literature. It has been discussed alongside other descriptive surnames built from color terms, and appears in both Britain and Ireland. Modern bearers are found widely in English-speaking countries, especially the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname scholars often grouped Golden with other names that began as simple descriptions, much like surnames for color or hair tone.
From the historical record
“le Goldbeter is found in H.R. GOLDEN. See Gold. GOLDFINCH. From tlie bird. Gold- finche. H.R. Sobriquets derived from names of birds are numerous. See Sparrow, Hawk, &c. Lavater found resemblances between human faces and those of oxen, goats, &c. So a friend of mine disco- vered in a neighbour of hers, not remark-…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom