How common is a surname?

Category: hobbies and interests genealogy and ancestry
4.3/5 (26 Views . 35 Votes)
name rank White percent
name SMITH rank 1 White percent 70.90%
name JOHNSON rank 2 White percent 58.97%
name WILLIAMS rank 3 White percent 45.75%
name BROWN rank 4 White percent 57.95%



Accordingly, which is the most common surname in the world?

The most common surname in the world is Wang—a patronymic Chinese name that means “king” in Mandarin. Around 76 million people in the world bear the name, with the next most common being the Indian surname Devi, which 69 million people share.

Also Know, where do last names originate from? Many modern American last names — also called surnames — can be traced back to medieval Europe. That's because when Europeans colonized North America, they brought their last names with them. In the Middle Ages, most Europeans lived in small villages separated by large areas of farmland.

Similarly one may ask, what is the most common surname in the world 2019?

And according to VividMaps, here are the most common surnames around the world:

  • Wang — 76 million.
  • Devi — 69 million.
  • Zhang — 68 million.
  • Li — 57 million.
  • Liu — 52 million.
  • Singh — 37 million.
  • Yang — 32million.
  • Kumar — 32million.

Are you related to everyone with your last name?

Family names (also known as surnames) provide an obvious clue to a person's origin. And yet, as any genealogist can tell you, surnames can be difficult to work with and research into surnames often yield unexpected surprises. In particular, two people with the same surname do not necessarily share a common ancestor.

36 Related Question Answers Found

What is the rarest last name?

According to MyHeritage's blog, “endangered” last names with fewer than 20 contemporary “bearers” include:
  • Sallow.
  • Fernsby.
  • Villin (Villan)
  • Miracle.
  • Dankworth.
  • Relish.
  • MacQuoid.
  • Loughty.

How do you pronounce Nguyen?

"Nguy?n is the most common Vietnamese family name. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Vietnamese pronunciation is northern [ŋʷǐˀ?n] and southern [ŋʷĩ?ŋ] ; in English it is commonly /ˈw?n/ "win"." - from Wikipedia .

What is my surname?

Your surname is your family name. It is also called your “last name.” When filling out applications, type your surname as it appears on your passport, travel or identity document.

What is the most common surname in England?

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland features the most common surnames and details about their origins. Smith, Jones, Williams, Brown and Taylor are among the most common names, while names including Farah, Twelvetrees and Li are amongst the 8,000 family names explained for the first time.

What is the least common name in the world?

Emerson and Weston closed out 2018's list as being the least popular names.

What is the most common Irish surname?

Top 20 Irish surnames
  1. Murphy. In Griffith's Valuation, a total of 13,539 Murphy households were recorded across the island, making Murphy the most numerous of Irish surnames in the mid-19th century.
  2. Kelly. Griffith's Valuation recorded 11,518 Kellys and only 57 O'Kellys.
  3. O'Sullivan.
  4. Walsh.
  5. Smith.
  6. O'Brien.
  7. Byrne.
  8. Ryan.

What are good last names?

100 Most Popular American Last Names
  • Smith.
  • Johnson.
  • Williams.
  • Jones.
  • Brown.
  • Davis.
  • Miller.
  • Wilson.

Is Nguyen a first or last name?

Nguyen. Nguyen is a very common Vietnamese family name and usually refers to Nguy?n with diacritics and less commonly as Nguyên. Nguy?n is the most common Vietnamese family name. Outside Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen.

Why is Smith so common?

Although the name is derived from a common occupation, many later Smiths had no connection to that occupation, but adopted or were given the surname precisely because of its commonness. For example: Smith is an extremely common name among English Gypsies; see also John Smith.

What is the most common last name in China?

Here are the top ten surnames in China, along with their meanings:
  1. Wang (?) Wang is the most common surname in mainland China, which represents 92.8 million people, and is a royal surname meaning 'King'.
  2. Li (?)
  3. Zhang (?)
  4. Liu (?)
  5. Chen (?)
  6. Yang (?)
  7. Huang (?)
  8. Zhao (?)

What is the most common surname in Scotland?

Smith, Brown and Wilson are the three most common surnames in Scotland, according to a new report.
  • Smith.
  • Brown.
  • Wilson.
  • Campbell.
  • Stewart.
  • Thomson.
  • Robertson.
  • Anderson.

What is the most common French last name?

This is the most common type of French last name, and it's simply based on a parent's given name.

Some French occupational surnames include:
  • Berger — shepherd.
  • Bisset — weaver.
  • Boucher — butcher.
  • Brodeur — embroiderer.
  • Caron — cartwright.
  • Charpentier — carpenter.
  • Chevrolet — goat farmer.
  • Couture — tailor.

What is the most popular name in the world?

Top Names Over the Last 100 Years
Males Females
Rank Name Name
1 James Mary
2 John Patricia
3 Robert Jennifer

What are the top 10 last names?

The Top Ten: Most Common Last Names in the U.S.
Rank Name Occurrences
1. Smith 2,376,206
2. Johnson 1,857,160
3. Williams 1,534,042
4. Brown 1,380,145

What was Jesus last name?

The name Johnson means the son of John and the name Smithson means the son of Smith, and so on. Christ is a title, not a last name. Christ is the English form of the Greek word, which means “Anointed One.” Messiah is the English form of the same word in Hebrew.

What was Adam's last name?

Last name: Adam
This noble and distinguished surname is of pre-medieval origins. It derives from the Hebrew word "adama", meaning "earth", and as such is believed to the source from which God created man as recorded in the Old Testament section of the Bible.

What is an Italian last name?

Most Common Italian Last Names
# Last Name Families
1 Rossi 45.677
2 Russo 31.372
3 Ferrari 26.204
4 Esposito 23.230