An English and German surname, Golden comes from the Old English term ‘gylden’ and the Middle English term of ‘gelden’, which all refer to golden hair. Variations in spelling for Golden include Golding, Goldin, Gouldin, Goulton and Goulden. In England the Golden surname is primarily in Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk, the city of London, Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Hampshire. In Scotland the golden families are concentrated in Lanarkshire and Angus counties. Within the United States the Golden families were found in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, California and Mississippi originally. Famous: Daniel Golden (journalist), William Lee Golden (singer), Thomas L. Golden (early prospector of Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in 1858 the town of Golden, CO. was named for him), John Golden (movie film director), Christopher Golden (author of horror and suspense novels), Jason Golden (rugby player from England) and Johnny Golden (professional golfer).