Most Common US Surnames 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 |
Full Answer
What are some good surnames?
- Franklin: Has its origin in the feudal system. Franc means “free” as liberal and generous.
- Ferguson: Means “man” and “vigour” is a Scottish surname.
- Fowler: its linguistic origins are from the Old English.
- Forbes: From the Scottish clan.
- Flanagan: A noble and distinguished surname of Irish Origin.
What are the most popular surnames in the USA?
Where Do Surnames Come From?
- Patronymic Surnames. These are typically the easiest surnames to decrypt. ...
- Locative Last Names. Besides just naming people after their parents, back in the Middle Ages, many people were given names of places.
- Occupational Last Names. ...
- Nickname Last Names. ...
What is the best surname?
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What are some common surnames?
Surnames, or family names, were first used during medieval times and usually referred to a person's occupation (i.e. Miller, Tailor, Potter, Weaver, Baker). These are called occupational names. Other common surnames were patronymics, which came from a father's first name and then "son" was added, as in Stevenson, Davidson, Robertson or Richardson.
What are the 7 types of surnames?
Apparently there are 7 types of English surname. Can you find yours? Surnames from a specific town. ... Characteristic surnames. ... Occupational surnames. ... Geographic feature names. ... Patronymic or matronymic. ... From the name of an estate. ... Patronage surnames.23-May-2016
What are some unique last names?
Unique Last NamesBarlowe.Caddel.Hart.Katz.Laurier.Madden.Elrod.Whitlock.More items...•26-May-2021
What is the rarest surname in the UK?
British surnames on the brink - with under 20 bearersSallow (English) ... Fernsby (English) ... Villin or Villan (English) ... Miracle (Welsh) ... Dankworth (English) ... Relish (English) ... MacQuoid (Scottish) ... Loughty (Scottish)20-Jun-2018
What last name means strong?
The surname Bernard derives from the German name Bernhard and Beornheard. The common element in these names, hardu, means “strong,” giving this surname the meaning “strong as a bear.”06-Jan-2022
What is the rarest last name?
10 Rarest Last Names in the United StatesTuffin.Bombardo.Duckstein.Stawarski.Ragsdill.Panchak.Mosheyev.Guillebeaux.More items...•17-Jun-2021
What are good fantasy last names?
Cool Last Names for Fantasy CharactersNameMeaningKami (KAH-mee)LordLightfootA messenger or nimble runnerLunaMoonPriestleyPriest of the wood9 more rows•14-May-2020
What is the shortest English surname?
The shortest surnames are those composed of three letters: Old, Ott, Ogg, Ord, Orr, Day, Eve, Pim, Ray, Six, Try, and Ure. Mr. Spring, Mr. Summer, and Mr.
What is the oldest surname in the world?
KATZThe oldest surname in the world is KATZ (the initials of the two words — Kohen Tsedek). Every Katz is a priest, descending in an unbroken line from Aaron the brother of Moses, 1300 B.C.11-Mar-2015
What's the most popular surname?
SMITHThe Most Popular Last NamesSURNAMERANKFREQUENCY (COUNT)SMITH12,442,977JOHNSON21,932,812WILLIAMS31,625,252BROWN41,437,02623 more rows
What last name means loyal?
Amana is a popular female surname of Hebrew origin. It means trust, faithful, or loyal.06-Jan-2022
What is the most unique surname?
Here are 100 of the Rarest Last Names in the U.S. as of the 2010 CensusTartal.Throndsen.Torsney.Tuffin.Usoro.Vanidestine.Viglianco.Vozenilek.More items...
What name means light?
Girl names that mean “light”Alina: A Greek name, this means “light”Aonani: This Hawaiian name means “beautiful light”Ciana: Meaning “light,” this name has Italian roots.Dawn: Of Old English origins, this name refers to the first appearance of light.Ellen: This Greek name means “sun, ray, shining light”More items...•19-Nov-2021
What is the most appropriate last name for a character?
You can choose the most appropriate from this list of cool last names for your characters. 93. Bardot ( French origin) meaning “a noble surname”. 94. Bellamy (Norman origin) meaning “handsome or fair”. 95. Blaine (I rish origin) meaning “slender”. 96. Cassidy (Irish origin) meaning “curly hair”.
What is the meaning of the last name Flammia?
Flammia (Roman origin) meaning “red flame”. 72. Floquet (French origin) one of the rare last names. 73. Fonua (Tongan origin) meaning “quarrel”. 74. Fukushima (Japanese origin) meaning “fortune island”. 75. Furyk (Ukraine) one of the rare last or first names for your character.
What does the last name Acker mean?
Acker (old English origin) meaning "field”. 2. Agnello (Italian origin) meaning “lamb”. One of the cool last names. 3. Alinsky (Russian origin), a truly unique surname to find. 4. Aphelion (Greek origin) meaning “point of the orbit at the greatest distance from the sun”. 5.
Can last names be wiped out?
Not only do living species and traditions sometimes become extinct but last names can get wiped out too. These unusual surnames which are no longer in use can be gripping surnames for fictional characters. It is difficult to point out the rarest last name in the world but these last names are surely among them.
Do strong last names go well with strong first names?
Strong meanings can be a wonderful way to show the best qualities and characteristics of your characters. These strong and unique last names go well with strong first names.
What does the last name "Vang" mean?
Literally means “Forest land. ”. #725 ROSARIO – Contraction of the Spanish “María del Rosario,” given to a girl who was born on the festival of Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated on the first Sunday in October. #726 VANG – Scandinavian surname, probably habitational – from a number of farmsteads and other places.
What is the meaning of the last name "Bil"?
Used for families from the region of Hesse, in Germany. #565 BEIL – From the German “bil” meaning axe. Most likely an occupational surname for someone who made axes or used them (like a lumberjack). #566 OLSEN – Son of Olaf. #567 COCHRAN – Scottish surname for a family who lived near the lowlands of Cochrane.
What does the name "Brady" mean?
Literally means citadel of Julian (Turro-Julio). #449 ADKINS – Family or son of Adam. #450 BRADY – Possibly from the Gaelic surname “Mac Bradaigh” son of the thief, or from the early English “brad-eage” meaning “broad eye” or someone with excellent eyesight. #451 GOODMAN – Man of god, or landowner.
Can you put a nickname on a baby's birth certificate?
Baby Names Tip: Don't give your child a nickname (i.e. "Jimmy") as a given name on their birth certificate. Let them have the flexibility to choose. Remember, you're not just naming a baby, you're also naming an adult! More Baby Names Tips.
Topographical Surnames
The first, topographical surnames, were some of the earliest in use and illustrate some surname meanings. They are very easy to determine, for example, Atwell meaning at the well and similarly Attwood.
Patronymic surnames
Patronymic surnames usually hand down from father to child and thus surname meanings here are relatively easy to derive. For example John Williamson is exactly as it seems that John is William’s son and similarly the surnames Stevenson, Johnson and Nicholson follow the same pattern.
Occupational surnames
Many occupational surnames were given, often by the ruling class to the workers usually describe the occupation of the bearer. Examples like Miller, Farmer or Carpenter are more familiar ones but there are also far less obvious names like; Century, a belt maker and Redman, a roof thatcher.
Descriptive surnames
These were sometimes based upon a unique quality or characteristic, such as Wise, Bold or Strong; although the most basic form is to simply describe someone’s physical appearance or a prominent physical feature of the person. This was often as a result of a nickname or pet name; surnames such as Broadfoot, Whitehead and Longbeard.
