Golden
Golden is a family name that can be of English, Jewish or Irish origin. It can be a variant spelling of Golding. It is also sometimes a given name, generally male.
Meaning & Origin of Golden
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Golden is a family name that can be of English, Jewish or Irish origin. It can be a variant spelling of Golding. It is also sometimes a given name, generally male.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Golden
As a girl name
Golden first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1884, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 62 Goldens were born — ranking #890 that year. As of 2026, Golden ranks #2,981 for girls with 55 births, rising sharply (+45% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Goldens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Golden first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 67 Goldens were born — ranking #2,144 that year. As of 2026, Golden ranks #2,414 for boys with 58 births, rising sharply (+42% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Goldens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Golden
Phonetically similar names — useful when Golden is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Golden
What does the name Golden mean?
How popular is Golden in 2026?
When was Golden most popular?
In which U.S. states is Golden most popular?
Is Golden a unisex name?
What names go well with Golden?
About the name Golden
Golden is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Golden's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #485. Use the chart and map above to compare Golden's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.