Explore the Family Name Gulden

The meaning of Gulden

1. Dutch and German (also Gülden): from gulden ‘golden’, derived from vergulden, vergolden ‘to gild’, a metonymic occupational name for a craftsman who gilds objects; compare Guldner. 2. Dutch: from gulden, the name of the coin (English guilder), applied as a topographic or habitational name referring to a house name such as In den silvren Gulden (‘In the Silver Guilder’), or from related verb meaning ‘to gild’, applied as a topographic or habitational name referring to a house name such as De Gulden Hoeve (‘The Gilded Farmhouse’) or De Gulden Zwaan (‘The Gilded Swan’). 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Gulden, Yiddish guldn, or Polish gulden ‘guilder’ (see 1 above). 4. English: variant of Golden.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gulden in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gulden's popularity has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 22,934th among all surnames in the United States, but by 2010, it had fallen to the 25,445th spot, representing a drop of around 10.95 percent. As for the total count, the number of individuals bearing the surname Gulden also declined from 1,042 in 2000 to 972 in 2010, which equates to a decrease of about 6.72 percent. Consequently, the proportion of Gulden per 100,000 people also decreased by approximately 15.38 percent over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#22,934#25,445-10.95%
Count1,042972-6.72%
Proportion per 100k0.390.33-15.38%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gulden

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Gulden surname identify as White, accounting for 96.74 percent in 2000 and moving slightly downward to 95.37 percent in 2010. A noteworthy increase is observed within the Hispanic group, who represented 1.06 percent of the Guldens in 2000 but grew to constitute 2.47 percent in 2010, marking a significant rise of 133.02 percent. The group identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a decline from 0.67 percent in 2000 to 0.51 percent in 2010. Individuals of Black ethnicity constituted approximately 0.86 percent in 2000, decreasing to 0.72 percent in 2010. The population identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained static at 0 percent, while those identifying with two or more races emerged in 2010, accounting for 0.93 percent.

20002010Change
White96.74%95.37%-1.42%
Hispanic1.06%2.47%133.02%
Two or More Races0%0.93%0%
Black0.86%0.72%-16.28%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.67%0.51%-23.88%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%