Last names can teach us a great deal about history, geography, and cultural heritage. In the United States—often referred to as a “melting pot” – the variety of surnames mirrors the country’s complex tapestry of immigration, colonization, and evolving identity.
Below, we have listed the 100 most common American surnames according to the 2010 U.S. Census, along with a quick note on each name’s origin.
Note:
- Population figures are rounded estimates from the 2010 Census; more recent data (e.g., from the 2020 Census) may show slight shifts.
- Origins can be quite broad. Many surnames have multiple origins or evolved through various cultural and linguistic influences.
Most Common US Surnames
| Rank | Surname | Approx. # of People | Primary Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | 2,442,977 | English (occupational: “metal worker”) |
| 2 | Johnson | 1,932,811 | English/Scottish (patronymic: “son of John”) |
| 3 | Williams | 1,625,252 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of William”) |
| 4 | Brown | 1,437,026 | English/Scottish (descriptive/nickname) |
| 5 | Jones | 1,425,470 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of John”) |
| 6 | Garcia | 1,166,120 | Spanish (Iberian Peninsula) |
| 7 | Miller | 1,161,437 | English/German (occupational: “grain grinder”) |
| 8 | Davis | 1,116,357 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of David”) |
| 9 | Rodriguez | 1,094,924 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Rodrigo”) |
| 10 | Martinez | 1,060,159 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Martín”) |
| 11 | Hernandez | ~1,043,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Hernando”) |
| 12 | Lopez | ~874,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Lope”) |
| 13 | Gonzalez | ~841,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Gonzalo”) |
| 14 | Wilson | ~802,000 | English/Scottish (patronymic: “son of Will”) |
| 15 | Anderson | ~784,000 | Scottish/Scandinavian (“son of Andrew”) |
| 16 | Thomas | ~756,000 | English/Welsh (from Aramaic “twin”) |
| 17 | Taylor | ~751,000 | English (occupational: “tailor”) |
| 18 | Moore | ~724,000 | English (various possible origins, incl. “moor dweller”) |
| 19 | Jackson | ~708,000 | English (patronymic: “son of Jack/John”) |
| 20 | Martin | ~703,000 | English/French/Spanish/Latin (from “Mars”) |
| 21 | Lee | ~693,000 | English/Chinese/Korean (multiple origins) |
| 22 | Perez | ~682,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Pedro”) |
| 23 | Thompson | ~665,000 | English/Scottish (patronymic: “son of Thom”) |
| 24 | White | ~660,000 | English (descriptive/nickname: “fair-haired” or “pale”) |
| 25 | Harris | ~624,000 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of Harry”) |
| 26 | Sanchez | ~613,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Sancho”) |
| 27 | Clark | ~563,000 | English (occupational: “clerk/scholar”) |
| 28 | Ramirez | ~557,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Ramiro”) |
| 29 | Lewis | ~532,000 | English/Welsh (from Louis/Lewis, Germanic root) |
| 30 | Robinson | ~530,000 | English (patronymic: “son of Robin/Robert”) |
| 31 | Walker | ~523,000 | English (occupational: “cloth walker/fullers”) |
| 32 | Young | ~484,000 | English/Scottish (nickname for “the younger”) |
| 33 | Allen | ~483,000 | English/Scottish (from Gaelic name Ailin) |
| 34 | King | ~465,000 | English (nickname/occupational) |
| 35 | Wright | ~459,000 | English (occupational: “woodworker/craftsman”) |
| 36 | Torres | ~453,000 | Spanish (from “towers”) |
| 37 | Nguyen | ~438,000 | Vietnamese (major family name in Vietnam) |
| 38 | Hill | ~435,000 | English (topographical: “lived by a hill”) |
| 39 | Flores | ~434,000 | Spanish (from “flowers”) |
| 40 | Green | ~430,000 | English (nickname referring to greenery) |
| 41 | Adams | ~418,000 | English/Scottish (patronymic: “son of Adam”) |
| 42 | Nelson | ~416,000 | English/Scandinavian (patronymic: “son of Nell/Neil”) |
| 43 | Baker | ~413,000 | English (occupational: “bread baker”) |
| 44 | Hall | ~407,000 | English/Scandinavian (topographical: “large house” or “manor”) |
| 45 | Rivera | ~391,000 | Spanish (topographical: “riverbank”) |
| 46 | Campbell | ~386,000 | Scottish (from Gaelic “cam beul,” “crooked mouth”) |
| 47 | Mitchell | ~384,000 | English/Scottish (from “Michael”) |
| 48 | Carter | ~377,000 | English (occupational: “cart driver”) |
| 49 | Roberts | ~377,000 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of Robert”) |
| 50 | Gomez | ~366,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “man of the path,” uncertain) |
| 51 | Phillips | ~369,000 | English/Welsh (from Greek “Philippos,” “lover of horses”) |
| 52 | Evans | ~356,000 | Welsh (patronymic: “son of Evan/Iefan”) |
| 53 | Turner | ~349,000 | English (occupational: “one who works with a lathe”) |
| 54 | Diaz | ~348,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Diego”) |
| 55 | Parker | ~336,000 | English (occupational: “park keeper”) |
| 56 | Cruz | ~334,000 | Spanish/Portuguese (from “cross”) |
| 57 | Edwards | ~321,000 | English/Welsh (patronymic: “son of Edward”) |
| 58 | Collins | ~319,000 | Irish/English (variant of Colin) |
| 59 | Reyes | ~308,000 | Spanish (from “kings,” possibly referencing Epiphany) |
| 60 | Stewart | ~306,000 | Scottish/English (occupational: “household guardian”) |
| 61 | Morris | ~301,000 | English/Irish (from personal name Maurice) |
| 62 | Morales | ~298,000 | Spanish (topographical: “mulberry trees”) |
| 63 | Murphy | ~297,000 | Irish (anglicized form of Ó Murchadha) |
| 64 | Cook | ~290,000 | English (occupational: “cook/chef”) |
| 65 | Rogers | ~288,000 | English (patronymic: “son of Roger”) |
| 66 | Gutierrez | ~287,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Gutiérrez”) |
| 67 | Ortiz | ~287,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Orti/Ortez”) |
| 68 | Morgan | ~286,000 | Welsh (from Old Welsh “Morcant”) |
| 69 | Cooper | ~281,000 | English (occupational: “barrel maker”) |
| 70 | Peterson | ~278,000 | English/Scandinavian (patronymic: “son of Peter”) |
| 71 | Bailey | ~278,000 | English (occupational: “bailiff” or “steward”) |
| 72 | Reed | ~273,000 | English/Scottish (nickname: “red-haired” or from “reedy area”) |
| 73 | Kelly | ~272,000 | Irish (Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh) |
| 74 | Howard | ~269,000 | English (from Norman personal name “Huard”) |
| 75 | Ramos | ~266,000 | Spanish/Portuguese (topographical: “thickets” or “branches”) |
| 76 | Kim | ~262,000 | Korean (major family name in Korea) |
| 77 | Cox | ~261,000 | English (patronymic/occupational/nickname) |
| 78 | Ward | ~260,000 | English/Irish (occupational: “guardian”/“watchman”) |
| 79 | Richardson | ~258,000 | English (patronymic: “son of Richard”) |
| 80 | Watson | ~253,000 | English/Scottish (patronymic: “son of Wat/Walter”) |
| 81 | Brooks | ~252,000 | English (topographical: “by the brook”) |
| 82 | Chavez | ~251,000 | Spanish (likely from Portuguese “Chaves”) |
| 83 | Wood | ~251,000 | English (topographical: “by the wood”) |
| 84 | James | ~249,000 | English (from Hebrew name “Jacob”) |
| 85 | Bennett | ~248,000 | English (from Latin “Benedictus,” “blessed”) |
| 86 | Gray | ~246,000 | English/Scottish (nickname: hair/complexion) |
| 87 | Mendoza | ~243,000 | Basque/Spanish (topographical: “cold mountain”) |
| 88 | Ruiz | ~237,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Ruy/Rodrigo”) |
| 89 | Hughes | ~233,000 | Welsh/Irish (patronymic: “son of Hugh”) |
| 90 | Price | ~230,000 | Welsh (from ap Rhys, “son of Rhys”) |
| 91 | Alvarez | ~229,000 | Spanish (patronymic: “son of Álvaro”) |
| 92 | Castillo | ~229,000 | Spanish (topographical: “castle”) |
| 93 | Sanders | ~225,000 | English (patronymic: “son of Alexander”) |
| 94 | Patel | ~223,000 | Indian (Gujarati “village chief/landowner”) |
| 95 | Myers | ~223,000 | English/German (occupational: “mayor”) |
| 96 | Long | ~221,000 | English (nickname for tall individuals) / Chinese (龙 “dragon”) |
| 97 | Foster | ~220,000 | English (occupational: “forester/worker”) |
| 98 | Ross | ~219,000 | Scottish/Germanic (topographical: “promontory”) |
| 99 | Morales | ~218,000 | Spanish (again, “mulberry trees”) — Note: also ranked around #62 in some lists; duplication or data shift can occur. |
| 100 | Powell | ~217,000 | English/Welsh (from “ap Hywel,” “son of Hywel”) |
A Quick Note on Duplicates or Minor Variations
In some listings, certain names (e.g., “Morales”) may appear at slightly different ranks or have slightly different counts. This is usually due to rounding, spelling variations, or updated data sources.
Key Takeaways
- English Patronymics & Occupational Names
Surnames like Smith (#1), Johnson (#2), and Miller (#7) illustrate common English naming patterns: patronymics (“son of [name]”) and occupational titles (e.g., “smith,” “miller,” “baker”). - Spanish/Hispanic Influence
Names such as Garcia (#6), Martinez (#10), and Gonzalez (#13) demonstrate the significant presence and growth of Hispanic/Latino communities in the United States. - Cultural Blending
Lee (#21) and Kim (#76) reflect Asian origins, while Nguyen (#37) shows how Vietnamese immigration has influenced U.S. naming demographics. - Evolution of Surnames
Many surnames have multiple possible origins (e.g., “Lee,” “Long,” “Kim”) due to different languages that happen to share similar spellings or sounds.
Why These Rankings Change Over Time
- Immigration Patterns: Influxes of people from specific regions can cause certain surnames (e.g., Patel from India, or Nguyen from Vietnam) to rise in the rankings.
- Birth Rates: Different communities have varying birth rates, influencing how fast certain surnames grow.
- Spelling & Reporting: Census data can shift due to changes in how people report their names, cultural name changes, or marital naming conventions.
Conclusion
America’s top 100 surnames are a living record of its diverse heritage and ongoing demographic changes. From English occupational names like Smith and Miller to Spanish patronymics like Garcia and Rodriguez, each name tells a story of migration, family tradition, and cultural adaptation.
Tracking these surnames over time reveals how the United States continues to evolve as new generations are born and new immigrants arrive, each bringing unique linguistic and ancestral legacies.
If your name appears on this list, take a moment to explore its background and discover how your ancestors might have contributed to the American narrative.
And if it doesn’t, the diverse tapestry of American surnames means there’s still a rich story to uncover – just waiting in your own family records, oral traditions, and genealogical data.
Sources & Further Reading
- U.S. Census Bureau (2010 Data): Census.gov – Genealogy Data
- Local Historical Societies: Often hold archives that can shed light on regional name distributions and the origins of certain surnames.
- FamilySearch.org / Ancestry.com: Genealogical sites that allow you to dive deeper into name histories and family trees.
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