Most Common Last Names in the US

How many of the most common last names in the United States can you name?

To make it easier we give you the first letter

Hint: Nine of these are of Spanish origin

Source: U.S. Census, 2010

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Last updated: September 25, 2020

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First submitted	December 17, 2012
Times taken	194,506
Average score	30.0%
Rating	4.33

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#	Letter	Last Name
2,442,977	S	Smith
1,932,812	J	Johnson
1,625,252	W	Williams
1,437,026	B	Brown
1,425,470	J	Jones
1,166,120	G	Garcia
1,161,437	M	Miller
1,116,357	D	Davis
1,094,924	R	Rodriguez
1,060,159	M	Martinez

#	Letter	Last Name
1,043,281	H	Hernandez
874,523	L	Lopez
841,025	G	Gonzalez
801,882	W	Wilson
784,404	A	Anderson
756,142	T	Thomas
751,209	T	Taylor
724,374	M	Moore
708,099	J	Jackson
702,625	M	Martin

#	Letter	Last Name
693,023	L	Lee
681,645	P	Perez
664,644	T	Thompson
660,491	W	White
624,252	H	Harris
612,752	S	Sanchez
562,679	C	Clark
557,423	R	Ramirez
531,781	L	Lewis
529,821	R	Robinson

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102 Comments

Level ∞

Sep 25, 2020

Weirdly, data from the 2010 census just became available recently. The U.S. census website is still extremely bad and painful to use, but it's getting better at least.

+17

Level ∞

Sep 25, 2020

For the record, whatever public data the British/Canadian/Australian governments are putting forward is even worse. I haven't interacted with the websites of the Belgian government, because I have standards, but I'm sure they are terrible as well.

Level 72

Jun 24, 2010

14/30 most common last names.

Level 45

Apr 7, 2016

Same here!

Level 71

Sep 13, 2020

same

Level 22

Jan 12, 2021

Lol i got 4

Level 23

Mar 5, 2021

i got 4 too

Level 70

Oct 13, 2021

LOL SAME

Level 55

Apr 28, 2022

i thought swanson would be up there but ig not

Level 43

Dec 30, 2022

I got 4 too. I don't get how people on their first try get like 19.

Level 41

Jul 24, 2011

15! I thought Young too

Level 66

Dec 17, 2016

You deserved a Pepsi™.

Level 28

Sep 13, 2011

Only 10! It's really amazing that the most obvious stuff can be so hard to conjure on demand. Good quiz.

Level 37

Oct 26, 2011

18, can't believe i didn't get Williams

Level 20

Oct 28, 2011

only got 6

Level 40

Dec 9, 2011

It's so hard to think of such generic names that all sound alike.

Level 22

Dec 17, 2012

Only got 2 :p

Level 35

Jan 5, 2013

13. seems like a good score havin beaten 91% of the ppl!

Level 81

Jan 12, 2013

I just took the Hispanic last names quiz and still missed Rodriguez, Martinez, and Gonzalez. ::facepalm::

Level 78

May 2, 2013

I found it interesting that Lewis and Clark were right next to each other. Ha

Level 94

Dec 18, 2014

200 years on, and they still can't get away from each other...

Level 46

Oct 21, 2015

I saw that too!

Level 14

Nov 3, 2013

got 0/30

Not american.

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

surely you must have heard of one ( an american)

Level 21

May 16, 2014

LOL......................Got all of them right on my first try:D PROMISE.............But I so did not look it up......LOLOLOL

Level 19

Nov 13, 2014

wow!! virtual high five!

Level 15

Jun 21, 2014

Most people spell it Gonzales not Gonzalez.

Level 66

Dec 17, 2014

The correct spell is González.

Level 66

Dec 17, 2016

The use of "s" rather than "z" at the end of a name often reflects the country of origin of the family. I once spelled the last name of a friend of Mexican descent ending in an "s" rather than a "z," which led him to ask "What are you trying to do? Make me Puerto Rican?" Portuguese surnames are also more likely to end in "s" than "z":

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

that is interesting baltimorean. :)

Level 19

Nov 13, 2014

30/30 on my first try with 1:03 left!

Level 68

Dec 17, 2014

Anyone else find it funny that Lewis and Clark are almost as similar as each other?

Level 36

Jan 25, 2015

That is really pretty amazing.

Level 46

Dec 17, 2014

I was surprised that Morris or Morrison wasn't up there.

Level 81

Dec 18, 2014

um... just took this quiz again and this happened: I ended up getting Martinez, but failed to get Martin. How is that even possible?

Level 76

Dec 17, 2016

I don't think it is possible. That would be like getting Dominican Republic without first getting Dominica. It can't be done. Apparently your fingers typed faster than the computer can process, that's the only answer I can come up with.

Level 71

Jun 14, 2022

It's possible, since if you type "dr" then Dominican Republic may show up. But I think typing Ukraine without getting the United Kingdom is impossible.

Level 53

Jan 11, 2017

It is possible that there is an accepted type-in of "Martenez" or something like that, which you could have typed accidentally.

Level 11

Feb 15, 2015

You got Robinson from Jackie Robinson, Didn't you?

Level 22

Oct 22, 2015

David Robinson, NBA player.

Level 88

Sep 28, 2020

twin towers 4ever

Level 62

Aug 10, 2023

i hate to break it to you but...

Level 35

Jun 8, 2015

Hill isn't on there

Level 15

Jun 8, 2015

1 try and i got them all Yesss (with 2 seconds left)

you should say that there are no Asian, indian.... names etc

Level 74

Oct 9, 2022

Lee?

Level 62

Aug 10, 2023

coincidentally lee is also a british last name

i imagine that both british and asian people having the name is what puts it on here

edit: im not trying to be condescending at all i realized the tone sounded weird when i read it to myself

Level 18

Aug 26, 2015

why not singh and kaur??

Level 11

Feb 13, 2016

duncan should be added

+14

Level 44

Mar 12, 2016

Because it's always good to add an incorrect answer into a quiz about the thirty most common surnames in America, isn't it?

Level 27

Apr 29, 2016

I got HALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Level 20

May 15, 2016

Why are loads of them ending in Z??????????????

Level 59

Dec 17, 2016

You mean the z can't get love? :(

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

They are of hispanic origin

Level 69

Oct 15, 2016

lmao I got 4 points for this and guessed 11 names...

Level 55

Dec 18, 2016

I know, I only got 20 right but still got 5 points! Hey, not complaining!

Level 16

Dec 12, 2016

i got 30 :)

Level 43

Dec 17, 2016

OK everyone admit it when you got near the end of time for the quiz and you saw your last initial available you typed in your last name, didn't you? Or did you type it first?

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

No cause they was absolutely no way my last name would be on here. Besides one little region, i am one of about 5 in the country with this name, my sister is another of those 5. (And no it is not simply a alternative spelling of something,)

Level 67

Oct 8, 2020

I knew it wasn't on there but I tried my last name anyway. :)

Level 39

Dec 17, 2016

15. Should have done better but forgot about the Hispanic factor. Dang it!

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

Same, didnt think of it, and still would not have thought it would be nearly half the list, maybe 3 or something, especially since hispaniic last names are repeated a lot. OK, I checked, it is only a quarter..

Level 66

Dec 17, 2016

average of 7? surprised by that

Level 37

Dec 17, 2016

I thought nguyen would be here

Level 81

Oct 9, 2020

I bet Lee gets a bump from immigrants from Vietnam, China, and Korea, though it was a common name before they started coming in large numbers, too.

Level 44

Dec 8, 2020

Usually in Asia its spelt Li

Level 81

Mar 1, 2022

I've seen it spelled Lee, Le, Li, Leigh, Lý, Ly, Yi, Ri, Rhee, Ree, Lei, Lie, Ye.... But among Koreans (such as Lee Myung-Bak), Hong Kongers (like Bruce Lee), and the Taiwanese (like Ang Lee).. Lee is in fact the most common spelling. I think Li is the most common Romanization in mainland China, but there are millions of Asians or people of Asian descent in the US who didn't come from mainland China.

Level 37

Dec 17, 2016

How did I forget jones!

Level 71

Dec 18, 2016

How is it possible that in top 10 there is no Gambolputty de von Ausfern Schplenden Schlitter Crass Cren Bon Fried Digger Dingle Dangle Dongle Dungle Burstein von Knacker Thrasher Apple Banger Horowitz Ticolensic Grander Knotty Spelltinkle Grandlich Grumblemeyer Spelter Wasser Kurstlich Himble Eisenbahnwagen Gutenabend Bitte einen Nürnburger Bratwürstel Gespurten mit Weimache Luber Hundsfut Gumeraber Schönendanker Kalbsfleisch Mittleraucher von Hautkopft?

Level 43

Dec 18, 2016

huh?

Level 55

Dec 18, 2016

Whew, what a name! Most people would fall asleep before you finished introducing yourself! Oh wait, was that supposed to be a list of last names and not just one really long one?

Level 83

Sep 28, 2020

This deserves more likes. :-)

For those in the dark and too lazy to search it: https://montypython.fandom.com/wiki/Johann_Gambolputty

Level 83

Sep 28, 2020

of ULM!!

Level 46

Mar 18, 2022

Bro you are a legend for typing that all out. Respect 1 million :)

Level 63

May 24, 2017

The best last name combo I heard was Bacon-Rice.

Level 74

Sep 29, 2017

I knew a Wetmore-Fish.

Level 61

Apr 19, 2018

Gotta love how the second column has the first five letters of my name all in a row.

Level 74

Apr 29, 2018

If it takes Rodrigues for Rodriguez, why not Davies for Davis?

Level 66

Jan 25, 2019

davies and davis are 2 different names

Level 76

May 21, 2018

Worth updating this quiz for the 2010 census?

Level 81

Oct 9, 2020

Might not be for the 2020 one.

Level 67

Aug 14, 2018

Tough- enjoyed.

Level 36

Apr 7, 2019

Amazed. The majority of people in U.S.A. are from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, etc.. They are non English-speaking countries, yet most names here are English names. Most of those people translate their first name to Engish, but almost no one changes their second name.

Level 85

Apr 20, 2019

Looking at recent census information British ancestry is only really challenged by German, and even then British ancestry is considered to be undercounted because many with British roots self identify as simply American. The French, Italian and Polish populations are significantly smaller and Spanish names are quite well represented here because of Latin Americans, especially Mexicans. Also consider that in the earlier days of America the white population was dominated by people with British roots and African American slaves were given their names. Surprising perhaps not to see more German names, but I imagine that many did Anglicise from Schmidt to Smith and Muller to Miller etc in the past.

Level 72

Apr 7, 2020

And Johannsen Johnson, Braun Brown, etc works for most of the non-hispanic names. And they might aswell be swedish Johansson or dutch Johansen

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

Interesting,I got the top 7, which all stand out from the rest plus clark (wanted to type clarkson, I guess it is because I ve watched a lot of topgear lately...) So I guess I thought the same as others. Which I had not really expected, also thought I sucked with only 8, but that is exactly the average !

Level 72

Jun 15, 2019

Perhaps accept davids for davis? just a suggestion/

Level 49

Apr 23, 2020

Was expecting to see Murphy and/or Kelly there, maybe 50 years ago?

Level 78

Oct 4, 2020

I definitely misread the description as saying none of these are of Spanish origin

Level 53

Mar 16, 2023

This is exactly what I did too. :-$

Level 67

Oct 7, 2020

Smart Thumbnail, QM. Blacksmith= Last name Smith.

Level 62

Oct 7, 2020

i mostly used hockey players. Jack Johnson, Martin Jones, Evan Rodrigues, Alec Martinez, Tom Wilson, Craig Anderson, Robert Thomas, Trevor Moore, Matt Martin, Anders Lee, Tage Thompson, Wendel Clark and Ian White to name a few.

Level 40

Oct 27, 2020

You removed a lot of VERY common ones so I suggest putting that there, and you also removed a LOT of time and before you gave 15 minutes.

Level 40

Oct 27, 2020

Wait... so little names?!? What happened to this quiz?!? 🤨🤨

Level 29

Nov 15, 2020

I thought it said "NONE of these are of Spanish Origin" fail. lol

Level 65

Jun 19, 2021

Same!

Level 82

Jun 24, 2022

Same here LOL

Level 68

Dec 28, 2020

Missed Jones!

Level 24

Feb 2, 2021

jones is my last name teacher and i found the site that had all of these names in order and the same numbers beside em...

Level 55

Mar 15, 2021

@Quizmaster Here is the Belgian one, in case you want to stretch your standards https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/population/family-names-and-first-names/family-names#figures

Level 79

Dec 13, 2021

You get a lot once you remember all the names that end in -ez

Level 69

Sep 26, 2023

A quiz you say 'duh' after seeing the answers you didn't get..

Level 46

Jul 10, 2024

wow! 9/30 and missed what should have been some easy ones... much harder than i expected!

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