Explore the Family Name Golec
The meaning of Golec
1. Polish: nickname from golec, from goły ‘naked’, also ‘penniless’, in various possible senses: it could denote a naked or hairless (bald or clean-shaven) man, and also someone penniless, totally destitute, a naked wretch. 2. Croatian and Slovenian: nickname from Croatian dialect and Slovenian golec ‘the beardless one’, from gol ‘beardless’ (also ‘naked’), or a topographic name for someone who lived on a treeless ground, derived from gol ‘treeless’. As a nickname it may also have the meaning ‘poor man’ (compare above and Golik). Compare Goltz. Some characteristic forenames: Polish Stanislaw, Teofil, Tomasz, Zdzislaw.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Golec in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Golec saw a slight decrease in its popularity ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 33,605 to 33,894, a diminution of 0.86%. However, despite a drop in its ranking, the total count of individuals with the Golec surname increased by 4.84% during the same time span, going from 640 to 671. The proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased from 0.24 to 0.23 by -4.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,605 | #33,894 | -0.86% |
| Count | 640 | 671 | 4.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.23 | -4.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Golec
The census data also reveals shifts in the ethnic identity of those bearing the Golec surname. In 2000, the vast majority of the Gollec population identified as white (98.13%), but by 2010 this percentage had dropped slightly to 95.23%. There was a small increase in the number of people of two or more ethnicities under the Golec name, rising from 0.94% in 2000 to 1.49% in 2010. Interestingly, the data from 2010 showed some Golec individuals identifying as Hispanic for the first time at 2.24%, while no change was observed for other categories like Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.13% | 95.23% | -2.96% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.24% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.94% | 1.49% | 58.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |