“What’s in a name?” asks Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet.” Actually a name can reveal a lot. Some are patronyms, reflecting the identity of your father or ancestors, or references to a clan or tribe; some are occupational, based on profession; others are toponyms, signifying geographic origins; and some derive from personal characteristics like hair color or physical strength. (Names are important: Consider “Friends,” Snapchat, and other famous things that almost had other names.)
24/7 Tempo has compiled a roster of the three most common last names (or surnames) in every state, based on research by Ancestry.com. It will probably come as no surprise that Smith is the most common last name in America overall and in almost every state. It’s an occupational name, suggesting an ancestor who worked with metal, like a blacksmith or tinsmith.
Of course, this can be deceiving because Smith has also long been a popular choice for people looking to change their name, sometimes in order to assimilate or sometimes to conceal their identity — as with the fugitive outlaws in the ‘70s TV series “Alias Smith and Jones.” (Interestingly, though Jones has long been another common American last name, it shows up in the top three in only four states here.)
Williams and Johnson are also common surnames across the country. They’re both patronymics, meaning son of William and son of John, respectively.
Click here to see the most common last names in every state
In states such as Arizona, California, and Texas, names such as Garcia and Martinez are very common, reflecting the growth of America’s Hispanic population, particularly in the West and Southwest. Lee, Wong, and Kim are the most common last names in Hawaii, reflecting the history of Asian immigration to the Aloha State. Unlike last names, first names are often unconnected to ethnic origin. These are the most popular baby names of the 21st century.
Names are listed here in order of popularity in each state.
Alabama
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
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Alaska
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Williams
Arizona
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Garcia
Arkansas
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
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California
> Most common surnames: Garcia, Hernandez, Lopez
Colorado
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Martinez
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Connecticut
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Brown
Delaware
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Brown
Florida
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
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Georgia
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
Hawaii
> Most common surnames: Lee, Wong, Kim
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Idaho
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Anderson
Illinois
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Williams
Indiana
> Most common surnames: Smith, Miller, Johnson
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Iowa
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
Kansas
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Miller
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Kentucky
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Jones
Louisiana
> Most common surnames: Williams, Smith, Johnson
Maine
> Most common surnames: Smith, Brown, Johnson
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Maryland
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Jones
Massachusetts
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Sullivan
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Michigan
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Williams
Minnesota
> Most common surnames: Johnson, Anderson, Nelson
Mississippi
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
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Missouri
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Williams
Montana
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Anderson
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Nebraska
> Most common surnames: Johnson, Smith, Miller
Nevada
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Garcia
New Hampshire
> Most common surnames: Smith, Brown, Johnson
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New Jersey
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
New Mexico
> Most common surnames: Martinez, Garcia, Chavez
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New York
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Brown
North Carolina
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Johnson
North Dakota
> Most common surnames: Johnson, Anderson, Olson
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Ohio
> Most common surnames: Smith, Miller, Johnson
Oklahoma
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Williams
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Oregon
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Miller
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Pennsylvania
> Most common surnames: Smith, Miller, Williams
Rhode Island
> Most common surnames: Smith, Brown, Johnson
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South Carolina
> Most common surnames: Smith, Williams, Brown
South Dakota
> Most common surnames: Johnson, Anderson, Smith
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Tennessee
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Jones
Texas
> Most common surnames: Garcia, Smith, Martinez
Utah
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Anderson
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Vermont
> Most common surnames: Smith, Brown, Johnson
Virginia
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Jones
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Washington
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Anderson
West Virginia
> Most common surnames: Smith, Miller, Johnson
Wisconsin
> Most common surnames: Johnson, Smith, Anderson
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Wyoming
> Most common surnames: Smith, Johnson, Miller
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