The Most Common Last Names in the US, From the 2020 Census
The US Census Bureau publishes a list of every surname shared by at least 100 people. The latest version, from the 2020 Census, shows how America’s last names have changed.
Fast facts
- Smith is the most common surname, with 2,369,644 people.
- Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez, Hernandez, Lopez and Gonzalez are all in the top 13.
- Among the 6,000 most common surnames, more people have one starting with M than with any other letter.
The top 25 surnames
| Rank | Surname | People (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | 2,369,644 |
| 2 | Johnson | 1,858,234 |
| 3 | Williams | 1,561,395 |
| 4 | Brown | 1,386,083 |
| 5 | Jones | 1,383,250 |
| 6 | Garcia | 1,149,510 |
| 7 | Miller | 1,129,186 |
| 8 | Rodriguez | 1,085,838 |
| 9 | Davis | 1,074,448 |
| 10 | Martinez | 1,039,848 |
| 11 | Hernandez | 1,013,895 |
| 12 | Lopez | 878,958 |
| 13 | Gonzalez | 828,405 |
| 14 | Wilson | 777,275 |
| 15 | Anderson | 756,560 |
| 16 | Thomas | 734,345 |
| 17 | Taylor | 723,758 |
| 18 | Moore | 696,384 |
| 19 | Lee | 695,657 |
| 20 | Jackson | 686,937 |
| 21 | Perez | 680,712 |
| 22 | Martin | 678,691 |
| 23 | Thompson | 640,099 |
| 24 | White | 636,798 |
| 25 | Sanchez | 607,848 |
Where these names come from
Most of the top English surnames describe a job (Smith, Miller, Taylor), a colour or appearance (Brown, White) or a father’s name (Johnson is “son of John”, Williams is “son of William”, Jones comes from John too). The Hispanic surnames ending in -ez work the same way: Rodriguez means “son of Rodrigo”, Martinez “son of Martin” and Gonzalez “son of Gonzalo”.
Surnames by first letter
| First letter | People with surnames starting with it (top 6,000 surnames) |
|---|---|
| M | 18,089,204 |
| S | 16,031,399 |
| C | 14,554,238 |
| B | 14,482,435 |
| H | 13,431,323 |
| R | 11,484,453 |
| W | 11,458,231 |
| G | 10,316,329 |
Use them in your writing
Need a realistic surname? Our last name generator picks from the 6,000 most common surnames in the 2020 Census and shows each one’s rank, and the random name generator pairs them with real first names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common last name in the US?
Smith, with 2,369,644 people in the 2020 Census.
Which Hispanic surnames are most common?
Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez, Hernandez, Lopez and Gonzalez are all in the top 13.
Sources
- Frequently Occurring Surnames from the 2020 Census, US Census Bureau.
- Ranks and letter counts by NameGeneratorHQ from the Census surname file.
