Most Common Last Names: 50 Top US Surnames Ranked
Some last names show up everywhere — on class rosters and in contact lists. But which surnames are actually the most common, and why did a handful dominate while thousands stayed rare? The answer lies in history: occupations, fathers’ first names, and the migration waves that shaped America.
In this guide you’ll find the most common last names in the United States ranked 1–50 using U.S. Census Bureau surname data, plus the most common surnames around the world by origin — every name with its meaning. For surname meanings beyond the rankings, see our guide to 120+ last names with meanings and origins.
Top 25 Most Common US Last Names
The rankings below follow the U.S. Census Bureau’s published surname lists, which rank family names by how many people carry them. The top ten — Smith through Martinez — have held their positions for decades, and Smith leads by millions over every other surname.
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | Metalworker / blacksmith | English |
| 2 | Johnson | Son of John | English / Scandinavian |
| 3 | Williams | Son of William | English / Welsh |
| 4 | Brown | Brown hair or complexion | English / Scottish |
| 5 | Jones | Son of John (Welsh form) | Welsh |
| 6 | Garcia | Uncertain (etymology debated) | Spanish |
| 7 | Miller | Grain miller | English / German |
| 8 | Davis | Son of David | Welsh / English |
| 9 | Rodriguez | Son of Rodrigo | Spanish |
| 10 | Martinez | Son of Martin | Spanish |
| 11 | Hernandez | Son of Hernando | Spanish |
| 12 | Lopez | Son of Lope | Spanish |
| 13 | Gonzalez | Son of Gonzalo | Spanish |
| 14 | Wilson | Son of Will (William) | English / Scottish |
| 15 | Anderson | Son of Anders / Andrew | Scandinavian |
| 16 | Thomas | “Twin” (from the given name) | Welsh / English |
| 17 | Taylor | Tailor | English |
| 18 | Moore | Marshland dweller / dark | English / Scottish |
| 19 | Jackson | Son of Jack | English / Scottish |
| 20 | Martin | Of Mars / warlike (given name) | English / French / Spanish |
| 21 | Lee | Meadow / woodland clearing | English |
| 22 | Perez | Son of Pedro | Spanish |
| 23 | Thompson | Son of Thomas | English / Scottish |
| 24 | White | Fair / pale | English / Scottish |
| 25 | Harris | Son of Harry | English |
The pattern is clear: occupational names (Smith, Miller, Taylor), patronymics (Johnson, Williams, Jones, Davis), and Spanish patronymics (Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez) produced most of America’s common surnames. For deeper coverage, see our full last names guide.
The Next 25: Ranks 26–50
The second tier mixes more patronymics and occupational names with the growing presence of Hispanic surnames — a direct reflection of 20th-century immigration.
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Clark | Scribe / clerk | English |
| 27 | Lewis | Renowned warrior (from the given name) | English / Welsh |
| 28 | Robinson | Son of Robin | English |
| 29 | Walker | Fuller (cloth worker) | English |
| 30 | Hall | Manor house worker / dweller | English |
| 31 | Young | The younger (to distinguish namesakes) | English / Scottish |
| 32 | Allen | Little rock / harmony (given name) | English / Scottish / Irish |
| 33 | Sanchez | Son of Sancho | Spanish |
| 34 | Wright | Craftsman / builder | English |
| 35 | King | King (nickname or servant of the king) | English |
| 36 | Scott | From Scotland / Gaelic speaker | English / Scottish |
| 37 | Green | Green / village green dweller | English |
| 38 | Baker | Baker | English |
| 39 | Adams | Son of Adam | English |
| 40 | Nelson | Son of Neil | English / Scandinavian |
| 41 | Hill | Hill dweller | English |
| 42 | Rivera | Riverbank / riverside | Spanish |
| 43 | Campbell | Crooked mouth (Gaelic nickname) | Scottish |
| 44 | Mitchell | Who is like God (from Michael) | English / Scottish |
| 45 | Roberts | Son of Robert | English / Welsh |
| 46 | Carter | Cart driver / transporter | English |
| 47 | Phillips | Son of Philip | English / Welsh |
| 48 | Evans | Son of Evan (John) | Welsh |
| 49 | Turner | Lathe worker / wood turner | English |
| 50 | Torres | Towers | Spanish |
A note on the rankings: positions below the top 10 can shift slightly between census releases, but the set of names in the top 50 is remarkably stable.
Why These Surnames Are So Common
A few historical forces did almost all the work.
Occupations were everywhere
In medieval England, every village had a blacksmith, a miller, a tailor, and a baker — and their children inherited those job titles as surnames. Smith wins because blacksmithing was the single most essential trade in every community. Carried to America by English-speaking settlers, the most widespread trades produced the most widespread surnames.
Patronymics multiplied fast
Names like Johnson, Williams, and Jones simply mean “son of John” or “son of William.” John and William were among England’s most popular given names for centuries, so their patronymics multiplied each generation. The same logic grew Spanish names: Rodriguez, Martinez, and Hernandez come from Rodrigo, Martin, and Hernando.
Immigration waves reshaped the list
Garcia, Rodriguez, and Martinez entering the US top 10 is a recent story — Hispanic surnames climbed as Latino immigration grew through the 20th and 21st centuries. Earlier waves brought German (Miller, Schmidt), Irish (Kelly, Murphy), and Scandinavian (Anderson, Nelson) names into the top 50.
Fewer names, more people
Once common, a surname tends to stay common: large families pass it down at scale, while rare names can die out. Over centuries this compounds — the most common names get relatively more common.
Most Common Last Names Around the World
The global picture looks very different: because China and India hold over a third of the world’s population, the most common surnames on Earth are Chinese and Indian — each carried by hundreds of millions of people.
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Li | Plum | Chinese |
| 2 | Wang | King | Chinese |
| 3 | Zhang | Archer / bow-maker | Chinese |
| 4 | Nguyen | Uncertain (possibly a musical instrument) | Vietnamese |
| 5 | Singh | Lion | Indian (Punjabi) |
| 6 | Kim | Gold | Korean |
| 7 | Garcia | Uncertain (etymology debated) | Spanish |
| 8 | Müller | Miller | German |
| 9 | Rossi | Red-haired | Italian |
| 10 | Patel | Village headman / landowner | Indian (Gujarati) |
Why Chinese surnames dominate: China uses only about 100 surnames in common circulation, and the top three alone cover hundreds of millions of people. By contrast, English-speaking countries use tens of thousands. For more on East Asian naming traditions, explore our Chinese names guide and Japanese last names with meanings.
Common Last Names by Origin
Common surnames by cultural origin reveal the naming logic each tradition used — here are the most frequent family names from the traditions that shaped American surnames.
English-origin common surnames
English surnames fall into four classic buckets: occupations (Smith, Taylor, Clark), patronymics (Johnson, Wilson, Jackson), places (Hill, Wood, Moore), and nicknames (Brown, White, Young, King).
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | Metalworker | English |
| 2 | Taylor | Tailor | English |
| 3 | Clark | Scribe / clerk | English |
| 4 | Walker | Fuller (cloth worker) | English |
| 5 | Wright | Craftsman / builder | English |
| 6 | Baker | Baker | English |
| 7 | Carter | Cart driver | English |
| 8 | Cook | Cook | English |
Spanish-origin common surnames
Spanish surnames are overwhelmingly patronymic — formed by adding -ez (“son of”) to a father’s name. They rank among the most common surnames in the US, Spain, and Latin America alike.
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garcia | Uncertain (etymology debated) | Spanish |
| 2 | Rodriguez | Son of Rodrigo | Spanish |
| 3 | Martinez | Son of Martin | Spanish |
| 4 | Hernandez | Son of Hernando | Spanish |
| 5 | Lopez | Son of Lope | Spanish |
| 6 | Gonzalez | Son of Gonzalo | Spanish |
| 7 | Sanchez | Son of Sancho | Spanish |
| 8 | Rivera | Riverbank | Spanish |
| 9 | Torres | Towers | Spanish |
| 10 | Ramirez | Son of Ramiro | Spanish |
German and Irish-origin common surnames
German surnames in America are mostly occupational (Schmidt, Weber, Schneider), while Irish ones often carry the O’ or Mac prefix meaning “descendant of” — though the most common Irish-American surnames (Kelly, Murphy, Ryan) dropped the prefix long ago.
| Rank | Last Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schmidt | Smith / metalworker | German |
| 2 | Weber | Weaver | German |
| 3 | Schneider | Tailor | German |
| 4 | Meyer | Steward / land manager | German |
| 5 | Kelly | Warlike / bright-headed | Irish |
| 6 | Murphy | Sea warrior | Irish |
| 7 | Ryan | Little king | Irish |
| 8 | Byrne | Raven | Irish |
Want to go deeper into European surname traditions? Browse our Italian last names and French last names collections for more meanings and origins.
Is Your Last Name Common? How to Check
Wondering where your own surname ranks? Here’s how to find out.
Check the Census Bureau surname files
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes surname frequency files showing each name’s rank and how many people carry it — search their site for the latest list to see where your last name falls.
Compare given-name popularity too
The Social Security Administration’s baby names data tracks given-name popularity by year — pair your surname’s rank with first-name trends, especially useful if you’re naming a baby and want to avoid an overly common full name. Start with our boy names collection.
Remember: “common” depends on where you look
A surname rare nationally can be extremely common in one region — Scandinavian names in Minnesota, French names in Louisiana. Globally common names like Nguyen or Kim may be uncommon in your neighborhood yet shared by tens of millions worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common last name in America?
Smith is the most common last name in the United States, held by well over two million Americans per U.S. Census Bureau surname data. Johnson and Williams rank second and third, and Smith has topped every published Census ranking.
What is the most common last name in the world?
Li (also romanized Lee) is widely cited as the most common surname in the world, carried by well over 100 million people, mostly in China. Wang and Zhang complete the global top three.
Why is Smith such a common last name?
Smith comes from blacksmithing — the most essential trade in every medieval English village. Because the name arose independently in countless villages rather than from one family line, it multiplied across the English-speaking world.
What is the most common Hispanic last name in the US?
Garcia is the most common Hispanic surname in the US, ranking 6th overall in Census Bureau data. Rodriguez and Martinez follow at ranks 9 and 10. Garcia’s exact etymology is debated by scholars — hence the “uncertain” label.
Are common last names “boring” for babies or characters?
Not at all — common surnames sound natural and believable, ideal for realistic characters. For babies, pairing a common surname with a distinctive first name (see our boy names or surname meanings guide) gives the best of both worlds.
How many last names are there in the United States?
The Census Bureau’s surname files contain well over 150,000 distinct surnames, but the distribution is extremely lopsided: the top 1,000 surnames cover a huge share of the population, while tens of thousands of names are carried by only a handful of people each.
Conclusion
From Smith the metalworker to Li the plum, the world’s most common last names are fossils of history — records of the jobs our ancestors did, the fathers they were named for, and the migrations that crossed oceans. Whether your surname ranks 1st or 100,000th, it carries a story worth knowing.
Keep exploring: the full last names guide for 120+ surname meanings, the Name category for thousands more ideas, or Japanese last names for a completely different naming tradition.
