100 Most Common US Last Names Origins and Meanings

🎯 TLDR

✔️ The most common U.S. last names reflect America’s diverse history of immigration and culture.
✔️ Hispanic surnames are rising in rankings, showing demographic shifts.
✔️ Asian and Indian surnames (Lee, Nguyen, Patel) are becoming more widespread.
✔️ Smith remains #1, but the top 100 surnames are more diverse than ever before!

📌 The Evolution of Last Names in America

🔹 In 1990, the top surnames in the U.S. were mostly of English, Irish, and Scottish origin—a reflection of early European settlers.
🔹 By 2010, Hispanic surnames like Garcia, Rodriguez, and Martinez entered the top 10 for the first time.
🔹 The surname "Lee" (Asian origin) ranked #22, showing growth in the Asian American population.

📌 Fun Fact: The last name "Smith" has remained the #1 most common surname in the U.S. for decades!

Illustration of Most Common Last Names in the United States

🌎 Diversity in U.S. Last Names

✔️ English surnames (Smith, Johnson, Williams) still dominate.
✔️ Hispanic surnames (Garcia, Rodriguez, Lopez) are growing fast due to immigration.
✔️ Asian surnames (Lee, Nguyen, Kim) are increasing, reflecting a rise in Asian American populations.
✔️ Indian surname "Patel" is in the top 100, highlighting South Asian immigration.

📌 Fun Fact: "Nguyen" (#38) is the most common Vietnamese surname in the U.S.!

📋 Top 100 Most Common US Last Names by Rank

Rank	Surname	Surname Origin	Estimated Population
1	Smith	English	2,442,977
2	Johnson	English, Scottish	1,932,812
3	Williams	English, Welsh	1,625,252
4	Brown	English, Scottish, Irish	1,437,026
5	Jones	English, Welsh	1,425,470
6	Garcia	Spanish	1,166,120
7	Miller	English, Scottish, German, French, Italian	1,161,437
8	Davis	English, Welsh	1,116,357
9	Rodriguez	Spanish	1,094,924
10	Martinez	Spanish	1,060,159
11	Hernandez	Spanish, Portuguese	1,04,328
12	Lopez	Spanish	874,523
13	Gonzales	Spanish	841,025
14	Wilson	English, Scottish	801,882
15	Anderson	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English	784,404
16	Thomas	English, Welsh	756,142
17	Taylor	English	751,209
18	Moore	English	724,374
19	Jackson	English	708,099
20	Martin	English, French, Scottish, Irish, German	702,625
21	Lee	English, Irish, Chinese	693,023
22	Perez	Spanish	681,645
23	Thompson	English, Scottish	664,644
24	White	English, Scottish, Irish	660,491
25	Harris	English, Welsh	624,252
26	Sanchez	Spanish	612,752
27	Clark	English, Irish	562,679
28	Ramirez	Spanish	557,423
29	Lewis	English	531,781
30	Robinson	English, Jewish	529,821
31	Walker	English, Scottish	523,189
32	Young	English, Scottish	484,447
33	Allen	Scottish, English	482,607
34	King	English	465,422
35	Wright	English	458,980
36	Scott	English, Scottish	439,530
37	Torres	Spanish, Portuguese	437,813
38	Nguyen	Vietnamese	437,645
39	Hill	English	434,827
40	Flores	Spanish	433,969
41	Green	English	430,182
42	Adams	English, Jewish	427,865
43	Nelson	Irish	424,958
44	Baker	English	419,586
45	Hall	English, Scottish, German, Irish, Scandanavian	407,076
46	Rivera	Spanish	391,114
47	Campbell	Scottish, Irish	386,157
48	Mitchell	Scottish, English, Irish	384,486
49	Carter	English	376,966
50	Roberts	Welsh, German	376,774
51	Gomez	Spanish	365,655
52	Phillips	Welsh	360,802
53	Evans	Welsh	355,593
54	Turner	English, Scottish	348,627
55	Diaz	Spanish, Portuguese	347,636
56	Parker	English	336,221
57	Cruz	Spanish	334,201
58	Edwards	English	332,423
59	Collins	Irish, English	329,770
60	Reyes	Spanish	327,904
61	Stewart	Scottish, English	324,957
62	Morris	English, Irish, Scottish	318,884
63	Morales	Spanish, Portuguese	311,777
64	Murphy	Irish	308,417
65	Cook	English	302,589
66	Rogers	English	302,261
67	Gutierrez	Spanish	293,218
68	Ortiz	Spanish	286,899
69	Morgan	Welsh	286,280
70	Cooper	English, Dutch	280,791
71	Peterson	English, Scottish, German	278,297
72	Bailey	Scottish, French	277,030
73	Reed	English	277030
74	Kelly	Irish	267,394
75	Howard	English, German	264,826
76	Ramos	Spanish, Portuguese	263,464
77	Kim	Korean	262,352
78	Cox	English, French, Welsh, Irish	261,231
79	Ward	English, Irish	260,464
80	Richardson	English	259,758
81	Watson	English, Scottish	252,579
82	Brooks	Swedish, English	251,663
83	Chavez	Spanish, Portuguese	250,898
84	Wood	English, Scottish	250,715
85	James	Engish, Welsh	249,379
86	Bennet	English	247,599
87	Gray	English, Scottish	246,116
88	Mendoza	Spanish	242,771
89	Ruiz	Spanish	238,234
90	Hughes	English, Irish	236,271
91	Price	Welsh	235,251
92	Alvarez	Spanish	233,983
93	Castillo	Spanish	230,420
94	Sanders	English, Scottish, German	230,374
95	Patel	Indian, Hindu	229,973
96	Myers	German, English	229,895
97	Long	English, Scottish, Chinese	229,374
98	Ross	English, Scottish	229,368
99	Foster	English,	227,764
100	Jimenez	Spanish	227,118

📌 Did you know? Some last names (like Wilson and Anderson) have Scandinavian roots!

FAQ: Common Questions About U.S. Last Names

What is the most common last name in the U.S.?

➡️ Smith is the most common surname, with over 2.4 million people carrying the name.

Why are Hispanic last names becoming more common?

➡️ Due to immigration and population growth, Hispanic surnames like Garcia, Rodriguez, and Martinez are rising in rankings.

What is the most common Asian last name in the U.S.?

➡️ Lee (#21) and Nguyen (#38) are the most common Asian surnames in America.

Why do some last names end in "-son" (Johnson, Anderson, Peterson)?

➡️ These names originate from Scandinavian and English patronymic traditions, meaning "son of" (e.g., Anderson = son of Andrew).

Are there any Native American last names in the top 100?

➡️ Most Native American surnames do not appear in the top 100, as they are less common nationwide. However, some Indigenous Americans have Spanish, French, or English surnames due to historical influences.

Most Common Last Names in the United States