How Common Is the Last Name Golay?
An estimated 857 people in the United States share the surname Golay. That's about 1 in 399,947 Americans. This data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau surname frequency tables.
This page covers the Golay surname's frequency in the U.S. population, its rank among all American surnames, and a breakdown of ancestry and ethnicity data from the Census. You can also check how many people share any first + last name combination involving Golay.
Estimated Americans with this Surname
857
About 1 in 399,947 people in the U.S.
Census Rank
#31,001
Frequency Rate
0.25
per 100,000 people
Census Count
749
2010 Census
Data Source
2010
U.S. Census Bureau
Ancestry and Ethnicity for Golay
The Golay surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (87.45%). The next largest groups are Black (4.54%) and Hispanic (4.01%).
Self-reported race and ethnicity from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables. Some categories may be suppressed for privacy when sample sizes are small.
Is the Surname Golay More or Less Common Than Before?
Between the 2000 and 2010 census releases, more people were recorded with the surname Golay, but it became a smaller share of the U.S. population overall. In other words, the raw count went up, while the frequency per 100,000 went down.
The headline number to watch is per 100,000 people. That tells you whether the surname became a bigger or smaller share of the country overall, even if the raw number of people with the name also changed.
Census Count
Per 100,000 People
Popularity summary
Use this table to compare rank, total count, and population-adjusted frequency side by side.
| Metric | 2010 | 2000 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,001 | #31,167 | 0.53% |
| Count | 749 | 704 | 6.19% |
| Per 100,000 | 0.25 | 0.26 | -3.92% |
If the raw count rose but the per-100,000 number fell, the surname still became less common relative to the size of the U.S. population. That is why the frequency rate usually tells the clearer story.
Recorded ancestry change
These percentages show how the Census profile for this surname shifted between the two surveys.
| Ancestry | 2010 | 2000 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.45% | 91.19% | -4.19% |
| Black | 4.54% | 4.26% | 6.36% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Two or More Races | 2.67% | 0.85% | 103.41% |
| Hispanic | 4.01% | 2.70% | 39.05% |
These percentages come from self-reported Census data. They describe how the recorded makeup of people using the surname Golay changed between 2000 and 2010, not the deeper family origin of every bearer of the name.
First Name + Golay Combinations
How many people share a full name with Golay as the last name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Golay Surname: Questions and Answers
How common is the last name Golay?
Golay is the #31,001 most common surname in the United States, with an estimated 857 people sharing this last name. It appears at a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 Americans.
What ethnicity is the surname Golay?
The Golay surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as White (87.45%). The next largest groups are Black (4.54%) and Hispanic (4.01%). This data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables, which include self-reported race and ethnicity breakdowns.
How many people named [First Name] Golay are there?
We can estimate any first + last name combination. Popular examples: Michael Golay, James Golay, John Golay. Search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this surname data come from?
Surname frequency data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau decennial surname tables. These list every surname appearing in the Census along with frequency rates and demographic breakdowns. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
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