Goldman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Goldman emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymicsurname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person’s father. Flemishsurnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Goldman is derived from the Old English personal names Golda or Golde, which were supplemented by the augmentative suffix -man. Goldmann is first recorded on an Essex coin dating from around the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. [1]

“Goldman was the appropriate name of a moneyer temp. William I.” [2]

Early Origins of the Goldman family

The surname Goldman was first found in Essex at about the time of the Conquest. Later, Adam Goldeman was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297 and later again, Maud Goldman was listed in 1393. [1]

In Scotland, “the name of a family long notable in the mercantile annals of Dundee, and supposed by some to have come from Flanders. Goldman, however, is an Old English personal name. The first of the name mentioned in Dundee records is James Goldman, admitted burgess in 1562.” [3]

Early History of the Goldman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goldman research.

Goldman Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Goldman, Golman, Gouldman and others.

Goldman Ranking

In the United States, the name Goldman is the 1,652^nd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. [4]

 Goldman migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships’ passengers show a number of people bearing the name Goldman: 

Goldman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Conrad Goldman, who landed in New York, NY in 1710-1714 [5]
• John Goldman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743

Goldman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Eliz Goldman, aged 26, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 [5]
• Elizabeth and Sophia Goldman, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1804
• John Jost Goldman, aged 26, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 [5]
• Sophia Goldman, aged 56, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 [5]
• S Goldman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [5]

Goldman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• Sam Hendri Goldman, who landed in Alabama in 1922 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Goldman (post 1700) +

• William Goldman (1931-2018), American two-time Academy Award winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), All the President’s Men (1976) and Princess Bride (1973)
• Patricia Ann Goldman (1942-2023), American public official and women’s rights advocate who served on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 1979 to 1988
• Robert “Bo” Goldman (1932-2023), American two-time Academy Award winning screenwriter and playwright, known for his screenplays of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Melvin and Howard (1980)
• Andrew Goldman, American film producer on Marcel the Shell with Shoes On which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards
• Francisco Goldman (b. 1954), American novelist, journalist, and Allen K. Smith Professor of Literature and Creative Writing, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut
• Daniel “Danny” Goldman (1939-2020), American actor, voice actor, and casting director, best known as the voice of Brainy Smurf in Hanna-Barbera’s The Smurfs (1981–1989)
• Marshall Irwin Goldman (1930-2017), American economist and Professor of Economics at Wellesley College and Associate Director of the Harvard Russian Research Center
• Yosef Goldman (1942-2015), Hungarian-born, American scholar of American Jewish history
• Sylvan Nathan Goldman (1898-1984), American businessman and inventor of the supermarket shopping cart
• Oscar Goldman (1925-1986), American mathematician