Canadian Last Names

These Canadian last names range from Smith and Tremblay to Friesen, Kowalchuk, Noseworthy and Sidhu, listed A to Z with meanings, so you can see the English, French, Scottish, Irish, Ukrainian, Mennonite, Chinese and South Asian roots behind them.

214 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Ahmed

Most praiseworthy, from Arabic hamida, to praise

Arabic
Ali

Exalted or noble

Arabic
Allen

From Breton Alan, possibly little rock

English
Anderson

Son of Andrew, manly

Scottish
Arsenault

Acadian name, possibly from Arsène

French

B

Baker

Baker of bread

English
Beaton

Little Bartholomew, or from Béthune

Scottish
Beaulieu

Beautiful place, from beau lieu

French
Bélanger

From Germanic Berengar, bear spear

French
Bell

Bell ringer or dweller at a bell sign, or Old French bel, handsome

Scottish
Bergeron

Little shepherd, from berger

French
Bondarenko

Son of the cooper, Ukrainian

Canadian
Bouchard

From Germanic Burchard, strong fortress

French
Boucher

Butcher or meat seller

French
Boudreau

Probably from a Germanic name with bald, bold

French
Boychuk

Ukrainian name, possibly son of a Boyko

Canadian
Brar

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian
Brown

Nickname for brown hair or complexion

English
Burns

Dweller by a stream

Scottish
Butler

Wine steward, Norman-Irish family

Irish
Byrne

Anglicized Ó Broin, raven

Irish

C

Cameron

Crooked nose, from Gaelic cam shròn

Scottish
Campbell

Crooked mouth, from Gaelic cam beul

Scottish
Caron

Possibly a Picard form of charron, cartwright

French
Chan

Cantonese form of Chen

Chinese
Chen

From the ancient state of Chen

Chinese
Chisholm

Water meadow, Scottish border place

Scottish
Chow

Cantonese form of Zhou

Chinese
Clark

Clerk or scribe

English
Clarke

Clerk or scribe

English
Cloutier

Nail maker, from clou, nail

French
Collins

Son of Colin, or Irish Ó Coileáin

Irish
Cook

Cook or seller of cooked meat

English
Cooper

Maker of barrels and casks

English
Cormier

Dweller by a service tree, Acadian name

French
Côté

Dweller on a hillside or slope

French
Cruz

Cross; common Filipino name

Spanish

D

Davidson

Son of David, beloved

Scottish
Davis

Son of David, beloved

Welsh
Dhillon

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian
Doyle

Dark stranger, from Ó Dubhghaill

Irish
Dubé

Of uncertain origin, possibly a French place

French
Duncan

Brown warrior, from Gaelic Donnchadh

Scottish
Dyck

Dweller by a dike; Mennonite

Dutch

E

Edwards

Son of Edward, wealthy guardian

English
Enns

Mennonite name of uncertain Low German origin

German
Evans

Son of Evan, Welsh form of John

Welsh

F

Ferguson

Son of Fergus, man of force

Scottish
Fisher

Fisherman or fish seller

English
Fitzgerald

Son of Gerald, spear rule

Irish
Fortin

Diminutive of fort, strong

French
Fournier

Baker or oven keeper

French
Fraser

Scottish clan name of Norman origin

Scottish
Friesen

Frisian, a Mennonite prairie name

Dutch

G

Gagné

From gagner, to cultivate or earn

French
Gagnon

From Old French gagnon, mastiff, or a farmer

French
Gauthier

From Germanic Walter, army ruler

French
Gill

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian
Gillis

Servant of Jesus, from Gaelic

Scottish
Girard

From Germanic Gerhard, brave spear

French
Gordon

Scottish place, great hill fort

Scottish
Graham

From Grantham in Lincolnshire, possibly gravelly homestead

Scottish
Grant

Tall or great, from Old French grand

Scottish
Gray

Nickname for a grey-haired person

English
Green

Dweller by the village green

English
Grewal

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian

H

Hall

Worker at a manor hall

English
Hamilton

From Hambleton, crooked hill

Scottish
Harris

Son of Harry, home ruler

English
Harrison

Son of Harry, home ruler

English
Hébert

From Germanic Heribert, bright army

French
Hickey

Anglicized Ó hÍceadha, healer

Irish
Hill

Dweller on a hill

English
Hiscock

Pet form of Richard; Newfoundland

English
Hnatyshyn

Ukrainian, from Hnat, Ignatius

Canadian
Ho

Cantonese form of Chinese He (何)

Chinese
Huang

Yellow, from the ancient state of Huang

Chinese
Hughes

Son of Hugh, mind or spirit

Welsh
Hunter

Huntsman or hunter of game

Scottish

J

Jackson

Son of Jack, pet form of John

English
Johnson

Son of John, God is gracious

English
Johnston

From Johnstone, John's settlement

Scottish
Jones

Son of John, Welsh form

Welsh

K

Kaur

Princess, Sikh name used by women

Indian
Kelly

Anglicized Ó Ceallaigh, possibly bright-headed

Irish
Kennedy

Anglicized Ó Cinnéide, helmeted head

Irish
Kerr

Dweller by marshy ground

Scottish
Khan

Ruler or chief, a Turkic title

Canadian
Kim

Gold, most common Korean surname

Korean
King

Nickname for a regal person or pageant king

English
Klassen

Son of Klaas, Nicholas; Mennonite

Dutch
Kowalchuk

Son of the smith, Ukrainian

Canadian
Kowalski

Smith, from Polish kowal

Polish
Kozak

Cossack, free warrior

Canadian
Kravchuk

Son of the tailor, Ukrainian

Canadian

L

Lalonde

From La Londe, a Norman place

French
Lam

Cantonese form of Lin, forest

Chinese
Landry

From Germanic Landric, powerful in the land

French
Lapointe

Dweller on a point of land

French
Lavoie

Dweller by the road

French
Le

Vietnamese surname of the Lê dynasty, from Chinese 黎 (Lí)

Canadian
Leblanc

The white one, common among Acadians

French
Leclerc

The clerk or cleric

French
Lee

Meadow in English, or plum in Chinese

English
Lefebvre

The smith, from Latin faber

French
Leung

Cantonese form of Liang, bridge

Chinese
Lévesque

The bishop, likely a nickname

French
Lewis

From Louis, famous warrior

Welsh
Li

Plum tree, a common Chinese name

Chinese
Lin

Forest or grove

Chinese
Liu

From a word for kill or axe

Chinese

M

MacDonald

Son of Donald, world ruler

Scottish
MacDougall

Son of Dubhghall, dark stranger

Scottish
MacInnis

Son of Aonghas, one choice

Scottish
MacIsaac

Son of Isaac, laughter

Scottish
MacKay

Son of Aodh, fire

Scottish
MacKinnon

Son of Fingon, fair-born

Scottish
MacLean

Son of the servant of John

Scottish
MacLeod

Son of Ljótr, Norse, ugly

Scottish
MacNeil

Son of Niall, champion

Scottish
MacPherson

Son of the parson

Scottish
Marshall

Horse servant, later a high officer

English
Martin

From Latin Martinus, of Mars

French
Matheson

Son of Matthew, or son of the bear

Scottish
McKenzie

Son of Coinneach, handsome

Scottish
McLean

Son of the servant of John

Scottish
Melnyk

Miller, a common Ukrainian name

Canadian
Michaud

Diminutive of Michel, who is like God

French
Miller

Keeper of a grain mill

English
Mitchell

From Michael, who is like God

English
Moore

Dweller by a moor or fen

English
Morgan

Welsh, possibly sea-born

Welsh
Morin

Diminutive of More, dark-complexioned

French
Morrison

Son of Maurice, Moorish or dark

Scottish
Munro

Scottish clan name of uncertain origin, traditionally from the River Roe in Ireland

Scottish
Murphy

Anglicized Ó Murchadha, sea warrior

Irish
Murray

From Moray, Scottish region, sea settlement

Scottish

N

Nadeau

From Nadal, born at Christmas

French
Ng

Cantonese form of Wu

Chinese
Nguyen

Vietnamese clan name, most common in Vietnam

Canadian
Noseworthy

From Norsworthy, a Devon place; Newfoundland

English

O

O'Brien

Descendant of Brian, high or noble

Irish
O'Neil

Descendant of Niall, champion

Irish
Ouellet

Of uncertain French origin, common in Quebec

French

P

Paquette

Diminutive linked to Pâques, Easter

French
Park

Gourd, Korean royal clan name

Korean
Parker

Park keeper or gamekeeper

English
Parsons

Son of the parson, or his servant

English
Patel

Village headman, from Gujarati

Indian
Pelletier

Fur dealer or skinner

French
Penner

Mennonite name, possibly pen maker or roofer

German
Pike

Dweller by a pointed hill, or the fish

English
Poirier

Dweller by a pear tree

French
Poulin

From poulain, colt, a lively youth

French
Power

Poor man, or from Pois, Picardy

Irish

R

Reid

Nickname for a red-haired person

Scottish
Reimer

From Germanic Raginmar; Mennonite

German
Reyes

Kings; common Filipino name

Spanish
Richard

From Germanic Richard, strong ruler

French
Roberts

Son of Robert, bright fame

Welsh
Robertson

Son of Robert, bright fame

Scottish
Robinson

Son of Robin, pet form of Robert

English
Romaniuk

Son of Roman, Ukrainian

Canadian
Romano

Roman, from Rome

Italian
Ross

Headland or promontory

Scottish
Rossi

Red-haired, plural of rosso

Italian
Roy

King in French, or red in Gaelic

French
Russell

Little red one

English
Russo

Red-haired, southern Italian form

Italian
Ryan

Anglicized Ó Riain, possibly little king

Irish

S

Sandhu

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian
Santos

Saints; common Filipino and Portuguese name

Portuguese
Savchuk

Son of Sava, Ukrainian

Canadian
Schmidt

Smith, from German Schmied

German
Scott

A Gael or person from Scotland

Scottish
Séguin

From Germanic Sigwin, victory friend

French
Shah

King, from Persian

Indian
Sharma

Joy or protection, a Brahmin name

Indian
Shevchenko

Son of the shoemaker, Ukrainian

Canadian
Sidhu

Punjabi Jat clan name

Indian
Silva

Forest or woodland

Portuguese
Simard

From Germanic Sigimar, famous victory

French
Simpson

Son of Sim, pet form of Simon

English
Singh

Lion, Sikh and Rajput name

Indian
Smith

Metalworker, from Old English smith, probably related to smitan, to strike

English
Snow

Snow-white hair, or born in snowy weather

English
Stewart

Steward of a household

Scottish
Sullivan

Anglicized Ó Súileabháin, possibly dark-eyed

Irish
Sutherland

Southern land, Scottish county

Scottish

T

Taylor

Tailor, from Old French tailleur

English
Thibault

From Germanic Theobald, bold people

French
Thiessen

Son of Thies, Matthias; Mennonite

German
Thomas

From Aramaic Te'oma, twin

Welsh
Thompson

Son of Thomas, twin

English
Tkachuk

Son of the weaver, Ukrainian

Canadian
Tran

Vietnamese form of Chinese Chen

Canadian
Tremblay

Dweller by an aspen grove, top Quebec surname

French
Turner

Lathe worker, or turner of wood

English

W

Walker

Cloth fuller who trod wet cloth

English
Walsh

Welshman or foreigner, common in Newfoundland

Irish
Wang

King or monarch

Chinese
Watson

Son of Wat, pet form of Walter

Scottish
Webster

Weaver of cloth

English
White

Nickname for fair hair or complexion

English
Wiebe

From Frisian given name Wiebe; Mennonite

Dutch
Williams

Son of William, resolute protector

Welsh
Wilson

Son of Will, diminutive of William

English
Wong

Cantonese form of Huang or Wang

Chinese
Wood

Dweller by a wood

English
Wright

Craftsman or builder, from Old English wyrhta

English
Wu

From the ancient state of Wu

Chinese

Y

Yang

Poplar tree, or from ancient Yang

Chinese
Young

The younger, junior

English

Z

Zhang

To draw a bow, archer

Chinese

Generate random canadian surnames

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Results (6)

Beaulieu

Beautiful place, from beau lieu

French
MacInnis

Son of Aonghas, one choice

Scottish
Robertson

Son of Robert, bright fame

Scottish
Noseworthy

From Norsworthy, a Devon place; Newfoundland

English
Cooper

Maker of barrels and casks

English
Johnston

From Johnstone, John's settlement

Scottish

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French names from Quebec and Acadia

Many of the names you will meet most often in Canada are French, and their meanings are simple once translated. Tremblay comes from tremble, the aspen tree, and marks someone who lived near an aspen grove. Côté means side or slope, Pelletier was a furrier, Bergeron a little shepherd and Lévesque, the bishop, a nickname for someone with airs or a bishop's servant. Fortin comes from fort, strong, Morin from a word for a dark complexion and Bouchard from an old Germanic given name.

Acadian families in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island carry a slightly different set, including Cormier, Arsenault, Boudreau, Poirier, Landry, Richard and Hébert. Poirier means pear tree and Cormier service tree, a sorb tree whose fruit was eaten in rural France. Many of these families were scattered by the deportations that began in 1755 and later returned or resettled, and some branches went south to Louisiana, which is why the same names are also Cajun.

Newfoundland, Mennonite and Ukrainian family names

Newfoundland was settled largely from the West Country of England and the southeast of Ireland, and its surnames still show it. Noseworthy, Hiscock, Pike, Snow and Parsons are English names found in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, and Noseworthy comes from a small place name in Devon. Irish families brought names such as Walsh, Power and Hickey. Many outport communities were small and isolated, so one or two surnames could dominate a whole village for generations.

On the Prairies, two other groups left a clear mark. Ukrainian settlers who arrived from the 1890s brought names ending in -chuk and -yshyn, and the ending tells you they began as patronymics: Kowalchuk is son of the smith, Tkachuk son of the weaver and Melnyk simply the miller. Mennonite families, many arriving from the Russian Empire in the 1870s, carry Low German names like Friesen, Penner, Klassen, Dyck, Wiebe and Enns, especially in southern Manitoba.

How to read Canadian last names in the list

Spelling varies more than you might expect. Scottish Mac names appear as MacDonald, Macdonald and McDonald, and the choice often depends on what a clerk wrote a century ago rather than on clan history. French names lose accents in English records, so Côté becomes Cote and Bélanger becomes Belanger. The search box ignores accents, so typing Cote finds Côté, and it also searches meanings, so typing miller or smith brings up names from several languages at once.

The list also shows how many families share one idea across languages. Miller and Melnyk both mean miller, and Smith, Schmidt and Kowalski all describe a metal worker. Newer names such as Sidhu, Grewal and Brar are Punjabi Jat clan names, while Chow, Leung and Ng are Cantonese forms common in Vancouver and Toronto. Reading the meaning beside each entry helps you place a character in the right community without leaning on stereotypes.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common Canadian last names?

Smith leads most national rankings, while Tremblay leads in Quebec. Beyond those, the names you meet most often are a mix of English, Scottish and French names like Brown, Martin, Roy, Wilson, MacDonald and Gagnon, with Li, Wang and Singh now very common in the largest cities.

What does Tremblay mean?

Tremblay comes from the French tremble, the aspen tree, and means a place where aspens grow. Most Canadian Tremblays descend from Pierre Tremblay, who came from the Perche region of France to New France in the 1640s, which is why the name is so strongly tied to Quebec.

Why do some Canadian last names end in -chuk?

The -chuk ending is Ukrainian and works like a patronymic or diminutive, roughly son of or little. Kowalchuk means son of the smith and Tkachuk son of the weaver. These names are common in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, where Ukrainian families began farming in the 1890s.

Are Mennonite names like Friesen and Penner Canadian?

They are Low German names brought by Mennonite families who moved from the Russian Empire to Manitoba from the 1870s onward, and later to Saskatchewan and Alberta. Names such as Friesen, Klassen, Dyck and Wiebe are now closely linked to Prairie towns like Steinbach and Winkler.