Most Common Last Names

These are the most common last names in the United States, ranked by how many people carry them in US Census surname data, with the meaning and origin of each name so you can see where American families came from.

200 real surnames with meanings, ranked by how common they are in the US.

1 Smith Metalworker, from Old English smith, probably related to smitan, to strike · English
2 Johnson Son of John, God is gracious · English
3 Williams Son of William, resolute protector · Welsh
4 Brown Nickname for brown hair or complexion · English
5 Jones Son of John, Welsh form · Welsh
6 Garcia From the medieval given name García, probably Basque; meaning uncertain, perhaps young or bear · Spanish
7 Miller Keeper of a grain mill · English
8 Davis Son of David, beloved · Welsh
9 Rodriguez Son of Rodrigo, famous ruler · Spanish
10 Martinez Son of Martin, of Mars · Spanish
11 Hernandez Son of Hernando (Fernando), Germanic journey + daring · Spanish
12 Lopez Son of Lope, wolf · Spanish
13 Gonzalez Son of Gonzalo, battle · Spanish
14 Wilson Son of Will, diminutive of William · English
15 Anderson Son of Andrew, manly · Scottish
16 Thomas From the apostle's name, meaning twin · Welsh
17 Taylor Tailor of garments · English
18 Moore Dweller by a moor, or from Old French More, a Moor (dark-complexioned) · English
19 Jackson Son of Jack, pet form of John · English
20 Martin From the Roman name Martinus, of Mars · English
21 Lee Dweller at a clearing or meadow · English
22 Perez Son of Pedro, rock · Spanish
23 Thompson Son of Thomas, twin · English
24 White Nickname for fair hair or complexion · English
25 Harris Son of Harry, home ruler · English
26 Sanchez Son of Sancho, holy · Spanish
27 Clark Clerk or scholar · English
28 Ramirez Son of Ramiro, Germanic counsel + fame · Spanish
29 Lewis From Louis, famous warrior · Welsh
30 Robinson Son of Robin, pet form of Robert · English
31 Walker Cloth fuller who trod cloth in water · English
32 Young Nickname for the younger of two · English
33 Allen From Breton Alan, possibly little rock · Scottish
34 King Nickname for a kingly man or pageant king · English
35 Wright Craftsman or builder · English
36 Scott Person from Scotland · Scottish
37 Torres Dweller by the towers · Spanish
38 Nguyen Vietnamese royal surname, from Chinese Ruan · American
39 Hill Dweller on a hill · English
40 Flores Flowers, or son of Floro · Spanish
41 Green Dweller by the village green · English
42 Adams Son of Adam, earth · English
43 Nelson Son of Neil or Nell · English
44 Baker Baker of bread · English
45 Hall Worker or dweller at a great hall · English
46 Rivera Dweller by the riverbank · Spanish
47 Campbell Gaelic crooked mouth · Scottish
48 Mitchell From Michael, who is like God · English
49 Carter Driver of a cart · English
50 Roberts Son of Robert, bright fame · Welsh
51 Gomez Son of Gome, man · Spanish
52 Phillips Son of Philip, lover of horses · English
53 Evans Son of Evan, Welsh form of John · Welsh
54 Turner Craftsman who turned wood on a lathe · English
55 Diaz Son of Diego · Spanish
56 Parker Keeper of a deer park · English
57 Cruz Dweller by a cross · Spanish
58 Edwards Son of Edward, wealthy guardian · Welsh
59 Collins Son of Colin, or Irish descendant of Coileain · Irish
60 Reyes Kings, often from Epiphany feast · Spanish
61 Stewart Steward of a household · Scottish
62 Morris From Maurice, dark skinned · Welsh
63 Morales Dweller by mulberry trees · Spanish
64 Murphy Descendant of Murchadh, sea warrior · Irish
65 Cook Cook or keeper of an eating house · English
66 Rogers Son of Roger, famous spear · English
67 Gutierrez Son of Gutierre, ruler of the army · Spanish
68 Ortiz Son of Orti, fortunate · Spanish
69 Morgan From Old Welsh Morcant, possibly sea + circle or bright · Welsh
70 Cooper Maker of barrels · English
71 Peterson Son of Peter, rock · Nordic
72 Bailey Bailiff or steward · English
73 Reed Nickname for red hair · English
74 Kelly Descendant of Ceallach, possibly bright-headed or strife · Irish
75 Howard Possibly from Old Norse Hávarðr, high guardian, or Norman Huard · English
76 Ramos Dweller by branches, or Palm Sunday · Spanish
77 Kim Gold, most common Korean surname · Korean
78 Cox From Cock, a bold young man · English
79 Ward Guard or watchman · English
80 Richardson Son of Richard, brave ruler · English
81 Watson Son of Wat, pet form of Walter · Scottish
82 Brooks Dweller by a brook · English
83 Chavez From Chaves, a town in northern Portugal · Spanish
84 Wood Dweller by a wood · English
85 James From the apostle's name, supplanter · English
86 Bennett From Benedict, blessed · English
87 Gray Nickname for grey hair · English
88 Mendoza Basque cold mountain · Spanish
89 Ruiz Son of Ruy, short for Rodrigo · Spanish
90 Hughes Son of Hugh, heart or mind · Welsh
91 Price Son of Rhys, Welsh ap Rhys · Welsh
92 Alvarez Son of Alvaro, guardian · Spanish
93 Castillo Dweller by a castle · Spanish
94 Sanders Son of Sander, short for Alexander · English
95 Patel Village headman or landholder · Indian
96 Myers Physician, from Middle English mire, or anglicized German Meyer, steward · English
97 Long Nickname for a tall man · English
98 Ross Dweller on a headland · Scottish
99 Foster Forester, or foster parent · English
100 Jimenez Son of Jimeno · Spanish
101 Powell Son of Hywel, Welsh ap Hywel · Welsh
102 Jenkins Son of Jenkin, little John · Welsh
103 Perry Dweller by a pear tree · English
104 Russell Little red one · English
105 Sullivan Descendant of Súileabhán, possibly dark-eyed · Irish
106 Bell Bell ringer or dweller at a bell sign, or Old French bel, handsome · English
107 Coleman Charcoal burner, or Irish descendant of Colman · Irish
108 Butler Wine steward of a household · English
109 Henderson Son of Henry, home ruler · Scottish
110 Barnes Dweller by the barns · English
111 Gonzales Son of Gonzalo, battle · Spanish
112 Fisher Fisherman by trade · English
113 Vasquez Son of Vasco, Basque · Spanish
114 Simmons Son of Simon, he has heard · English
115 Romero Pilgrim to Rome · Spanish
116 Jordan From the river Jordan, to descend · English
117 Patterson Son of Patrick, nobleman · Scottish
118 Alexander Defender of men · Scottish
119 Hamilton From crooked hill · Scottish
120 Graham From Grantham in Lincolnshire, possibly gravelly homestead · Scottish
121 Reynolds Son of Reynold, counsel power · English
122 Griffin From Welsh Gruffudd, strong lord · Welsh
123 Wallace Welshman or foreigner · Scottish
124 Moreno Nickname for dark hair or skin · Spanish
125 West Dweller to the west · English
126 Cole From Old English Cola, coal black · English
127 Hayes Dweller by enclosures, or Irish descendant of Aodh · Irish
128 Bryant From Brian, noble or high · Irish
129 Herrera Dweller by the ironworks · Spanish
130 Gibson Son of Gib, pet form of Gilbert · Scottish
131 Ellis From Elias, the Lord is my God · Welsh
132 Tran Vietnamese royal surname, from Chinese Chen · American
133 Medina From Arabic madina, city · Spanish
134 Aguilar Dweller at an eagle's haunt · Spanish
135 Stevens Son of Stephen, crown · English
136 Murray From the province of Moray · Scottish
137 Ford Dweller by a ford · English
138 Castro Dweller by a castle or fort · Spanish
139 Marshall Keeper of horses, later a high officer · English
140 Owens Son of Owen, noble or well born · Welsh
141 Harrison Son of Harry · English
142 Fernandez Son of Fernando, Germanic journey + daring · Spanish
143 McDonald Son of Donald, world ruler · Scottish
144 Woods Dweller by the woods · English
145 Washington From Washington, Wassa's estate · English
146 Kennedy Descendant of Cinneidigh, helmeted head · Irish
147 Wells Dweller by a spring · English
148 Vargas Dweller on a slope or hut · Spanish
149 Henry Home ruler, from Germanic Heimrich · English
150 Chen To exhibit or display, an ancient state · Chinese
151 Freeman Man free of feudal obligations · English
152 Webb Weaver of cloth · English
153 Tucker Cloth fuller who softened cloth · English
154 Guzman Possibly from Germanic good man · Spanish
155 Burns Dweller by a stream · Scottish
156 Crawford From crow ford in Lanarkshire · Scottish
157 Olson Son of Ole, ancestor's heir · Nordic
158 Simpson Son of Sim, pet form of Simon · English
159 Porter Gatekeeper or carrier of goods · English
160 Hunter Huntsman or game hunter · Scottish
161 Gordon From spacious fort in Berwickshire · Scottish
162 Mendez Son of Mendo, short for Menendo · Spanish
163 Silva Dweller by a wood · Portuguese
164 Shaw Dweller by a copse or thicket · English
165 Snyder Tailor, from Dutch snijder · Dutch
166 Mason Stonemason or builder · English
167 Dixon Son of Dick, pet form of Richard · English
168 Munoz Son of Muno · Spanish
169 Hunt Huntsman or game hunter · English
170 Hicks Son of Hick, pet form of Richard · English
171 Holmes Dweller on an island or river meadow · English
172 Palmer Pilgrim who carried a palm branch · English
173 Wagner Wagon maker or cartwright · German
174 Black Nickname for dark hair or complexion · Scottish
175 Robertson Son of Robert, bright fame · Scottish
176 Boyd Yellow haired, from Gaelic buidhe · Scottish
177 Rose Dweller by roses, or from a rose sign · English
178 Stone Dweller by a notable stone · English
179 Salazar Old hall, from Basque · Spanish
180 Fox Nickname for a cunning, red-haired man · English
181 Warren From La Varenne in Normandy, or game park keeper · English
182 Mills Dweller by the mills · English
183 Meyer Steward or tenant farmer · German
184 Rice From Welsh Rhys, ardour · Welsh
185 Schmidt Smith, worker in metal · German
186 Garza Heron, a nickname · Spanish
187 Daniels Son of Daniel, God is my judge · English
188 Ferguson Son of Fergus, man of vigour · Scottish
189 Nichols Son of Nicholas, victory of the people · English
190 Stephens Son of Stephen, crown · English
191 Soto Dweller by a grove · Spanish
192 Weaver Weaver of cloth · English
193 Ryan Descendant of Rian, little king · Irish
194 Gardner Gardener or grower of produce · English
195 Payne Countryman or pagan, from Old French paien · English
196 Grant Nickname for a tall man · Scottish
197 Dunn Nickname for dark hair, Gaelic donn · Irish
198 Kelley Descendant of Ceallach, possibly bright-headed or strife · Irish
199 Spencer Dispenser of provisions · English
200 Hawkins Son of Hawkin, little Hal · English

Generate random common surnames

Filter by first letter, length and rarity, add a first name to preview the full name, then copy or save your favorites.

Results (6)

Morrison

Son of Morris

Scottish
Ellis

From Elias, the Lord is my God

Welsh
Rice

From Welsh Rhys, ardour

Welsh
Hawkins

Son of Hawkin, little Hal

English
Vega

Dweller on a fertile plain

Spanish
Stewart

Steward of a household

Scottish

Saved names

Names you save will appear here. They stay in this browser only.

Open the full generator

Most common last names in the US

The ranking above follows the surname tables published by the US Census Bureau, which counts how many people report each last name in the decennial census. That makes it the most reliable public source for American surname frequency, because it covers the whole population rather than a sample of phone books or genealogy sites. The list is sorted from the top down, so Smith comes first, followed by Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones, and the names grow gradually less frequent as you scroll.

Each entry shows the origin and a short meaning, which turns a plain frequency table into a small history lesson. Use the search box to check where your own surname sits, or the letter filter to see every common name that starts with M or R. The random picker below the list pulls a few names from the ranking at once, which is handy when you need an ordinary, believable surname for a form, a test account or a background character.

What common American last names reveal about history

The top of the list is dominated by English and Welsh names, and most of them are very old. Smith and Miller are occupations, Brown began as a nickname for hair or complexion, and Johnson, Williams, Jones and Davis are patronymics meaning son of John, William or David. Welsh families took patronymics as fixed surnames late and drew on a small pool of first names, which is one reason Jones, Williams and Davis are so frequent in Britain and in America.

Other layers of history sit underneath. Many African American families carry Johnson, Williams, Jones and Brown because people freed after slavery often chose or were recorded under widespread English surnames. Immigrant names were also adapted over time, so a German Schmidt could become Smith and a Müller could become Miller within a generation. Hispanic names such as Garcia, Rodriguez and Martinez reflect both long Spanish roots in the Southwest and more recent immigration from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

How the most popular last names have changed

Smith has led every modern Census surname release, and Johnson has stayed close behind, so the very top of the table moves slowly. The biggest shift has been the rise of Hispanic surnames. In the 1990 tabulation the top ten was made up entirely of names from Britain, but by 2000 Garcia and Rodriguez had joined it, and in 2010 Martinez followed. Further down, names such as Hernandez, Lopez and Gonzalez have climbed steadily as well.

Asian surnames show a similar pattern on a smaller scale. Names like Nguyen, Kim, Lee and Patel have moved up as Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Indian communities have grown, while some older English and Scottish names have slipped slightly in relative terms. Because the Census Bureau releases detailed surname tables only after certain counts, the ranking changes in steps rather than year by year, and each new release is a useful snapshot of how the country itself has changed.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common last names in America?

According to Census surname data, the most common last names in the United States are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones, followed by Garcia, Miller, Davis, Rodriguez and Martinez. The list above continues the ranking well beyond the top ten, with the origin and meaning of every name.

What are the most common last names in the world?

Worldwide, the largest surnames are Chinese, because a small set of family names is shared by a very large population. Wang, Li and Zhang are usually named as the leaders. Nguyen is dominant in Vietnam, and names like Kumar and Singh are very widespread in India. Smith leads in most English-speaking countries.

Why are Garcia and Rodriguez among the most popular last names in the US?

Hispanic Americans are one of the largest and fastest growing parts of the population, and Spanish surnames are concentrated in a relatively small set of very common names. Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez and Hernandez are carried by millions of Americans with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America and beyond, which pushes them high in the national ranking.

Are common last names in the US a good choice for characters?

Often, yes. A common surname makes a character feel ordinary and believable, which suits realistic fiction, thrillers and supporting roles. It also avoids drawing attention away from the story. If you want a lead to stand out, pair a common surname with a more distinctive first name, or pick a name from further down the ranking.