Our surnames contain entire family histories, so we should be proud of them. However, no surname is unique. Many surnames are inspired by professions people used to have, so they’ve been passed on to lots of descendants over centuries. Here are 20 surnames that are extremely common in the US.
Smith
Smith is currently the most common surname in the US and has been for a long time. According to statistics from the US Census Bureau, over 2 million Americans have the surname Smith! It’s also one of the most common surnames in the rest of the English-speaking world.
Brown
The color brown rarely receives any appreciation, but millions of Americans happily bear the surname Brown. It evolved from the surname Brownsmith, which was taken from the profession of people who worked with brown metals like brass and copper. Nowadays, plain ‘Brown’ is one of the US’s most common surnames.
Johnson
John has long been one of the most popular first names for boys, and the surname Johnson has fared just as well. It’s currently the second most frequent American surname. We believe it was introduced to the US in the 17th Century when English settlers landed at Jamestown.
Jones
We all know somebody with the surname Jones because it’s such a popular surname in the US and several other countries. It’s the fifth most common last name in the US, meaning ‘son of John’. It originated in Wales but has rapidly multiplied since British Joneses moved to the US centuries ago.
Miller
Miller is one of the most common current US surnames because it’s based on one of the most popular historical occupations. Many people kept mills, and plenty of others worked in them, allowing the surname to be passed down to millions of descendants. It’s currently the seventh most common in the US.
Garcia
Garcia is known for being the most common surname in Spain, but did you know it’s also the sixth most frequent last name in the US? That’s because it’s a common Native American surname belonging to the Pueblos peoples in the Southwestern states, such as New Mexico and Arizona.
Williams
William is an extremely popular first name, and its plural form is also one of the most common American surnames. Forebears reports that the US has the most Williams’ in the world, with almost 2 million of them! Though the name originated in the UK, it has more than made its mark in the US.
Hernandez
Despite its Spanish origins, Hernandez is currently one of the top 20 most common US surnames. This isn’t surprising, given that it’s one of the most popular Hispanic surnames, and there are over 60 million Hispanic people in the US. Its popularity has increased significantly since 2000.
Davis
Davis is another frequent English surname that has also made it big in the US. It’s the eighth most common American surname, far more used than the alternative spelling ‘Davies’. This surname means ‘son of David’, so it’s also another last name that evolved from a popular first name.
Anderson
The surname Anderson has Scandinavian origins and is one of the most popular names in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. However, it’s also a prevalent surname in the US. It means ‘son of Anders’, which translates to ‘Andrew’ in English. It was a frequent surname among Scottish and Irish settlers in the US.
Thomas
Thomas is a well-known male name that is used as a surname in its original form. It’s extremely common in the US, currently in twelfth place, with great popularity in other countries, including France and the UK. Despite being exactly the same as the first name, the surname Thomas means ‘son of Thomas’.
Lee
It’s short and simple, but the surname Lee has roots in multiple cultures. It’s both an Americanized spelling of the Asian surname ‘Li’ and an evolved form of the Old English word ‘leah’, meaning ‘forest’. It’s currently one of the most common and recognizable surnames in the US.
White
Like Brown, White is another color frequently used as a surname. It’s most commonly found in the US, with over 1.1 million Americans bearing the name. It was also initially given as a nickname for people with fair complexions but is now a recognized surname worldwide.
Perez
The surname Perez, meaning ‘son of Pero or Pedro’, has rich Spanish origins, but it’s also the proud surname of hundreds of thousands of people in the US. Its American legacy dates back to the 1800s, but it was most common in the US the following century. It also has Jewish origins.
Martínez
Martínez is a frequent Spanish surname that is also extremely common in the US thanks to the global cultural reach of the Spanish language. Many Hispanic people living in countries in the Americas, including the US, have the surname Martínez. Some spell it ‘Martinez’, but the acute accent is more common.
Jackson
Before it became a frequent American surname, Jackson was used plenty in England, Ireland, and Scotland, so it has a strong and lengthy history. It’s another patronymic surname, meaning ‘son of Jack or John’, so millions have passed it on to their descendants throughout history. It remains common in the US.
Moore
Moore is currently the sixteenth most common surname in the US. Though it comes from the British moorlands, its frequency in the US has overtaken its usage in the UK. Over 800,000 Americans bear the last name Moore, and that number will only continue to rise as they have children.
Thompson
Thompson is a similar surname to Thomas, not used quite as frequently but still among the most common surnames in the US. It means ‘son of Thom’ and is actually derived from the name Thomas. It also takes its origins from the Scandinavian name Thomsen, so it has a rich multicultural history.
Hill
Hill is another short and simple surname you’ll hear across the United States. ThoughtCo reports that it’s most prevalent in the US, belonging to one in every 699 people! It’s a place-related surname that would have been historically assigned to people who lived near hills. Its usage will only continue to grow.
Robinson
Robinson is another surname that derives from an ancestor, meaning ‘son of Robin’, which is itself derived from the name Robert. It’s currently the twentieth most common surname in the US. Like many other popular surnames, it originated in England before making its way to the United States.
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