The Most Common Last Names Around The World

#1 SMITH

This popular last name originated in England before spreading to all other English speaking countries and colonies. Not surprisingly, it is the most popular surname in The United States, Britain, Canada, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand. The name 'John Smith' is the most common name in the entire world. The name is occupational in nature, meaning a 'smith' or someone who works with a hammer. The name has also been absorbed by assimilation to 'Hanks' and 'Hodge.'

#2 GARCIA

Becuase of mass immigration from Central America, the family name Garcia is not the 8th most popular name in the United States. However, it is the number one most popular name in Spain and Cuba and the third most common in Mexico. It is actually Portuguese by nature, meaning 'young warrior'.

#3 MARTIN

The most popular and common last name in France, with over 235,000 people sharing the name, Martin is also popular throughout the world, and is the 10th most common last name in the USA. It is a shortened version of the name Martinus which is a derived form of the name of the Roman god Mars, the protective godhead of the Latins, and therefore the god of war. It is common in many countries and languages including Spain and throughout South America. Martin may either be a surname or a given name and has been incorporated into many different forms through religion and location.

#4 ROSSI

The plural of Rosso (meaning red in Italian), Rossi is the most common surname in Italy. Due to the diaspora, it is also very common in some other countries such as Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Mexico, Peru, USA, Hungary, Cuba, and Uruguay. It is often spelled as Rosse, Rossie, or Roszi.

#5 NOVAK

In English, is means “new man”, “newcomer”, or “stranger” and has become a popular name in Britain and America though it is the most popular name in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia. It is a popular Slavic name for bot a first and last name and is also popular in Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.

#6 FERNANDEZ

The name means "Son of Fernando" and is a very common Spanish language surname. It is the 4th most popular name in Argentina, 8th most popular name in Spain, 10th most popular in Paraguay and 13th most popular in Mexico. The Portuguese version of this surname is Fernandes, where it is the fifth most popular family name.

#7 SMIRNOV

If you guessed it's from Russia, you're probably a vodka drinker. Smirnov (masculine) or Smirnova (feminine) is the most common last name in Russia. It is also popular in Poland and Norway. There are several variants of this name such as Smirnoff, Smirnow or Smyrnov but they all mean “quiet, still, peaceful, gentle”.

#8 MOHAMED

Meaning “The Most Praised One”, Mohamed is the name of the Islamic prophet and the most common name (both first name and last name) throughout the Muslim world. There are several versions of the name, such as Muhammad, Muhammett, Muhamad, and Mohammed. The name is a popular first name in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and a common last names in countries such as Iraq, Turkey, Syria, UAE, Iran, and Afghanistan. As of 2011, Mohamed was the most common boys first name in the world.

#9 KUMAR

The name originated in India and has its roots in very early Hinduism. You may know someone named Kumar since it is one of the most popular given first names, middle names, and family names in India, and the 8th most common family name in the entire world.

#10 GONZALEZ

One of many popular names in the Spanish language, Gonzalez is the second most common surname in Spain and it is also very a common surname in Latin America. It is one of the five most common surnames in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela, and surprisingly, is in the top names of the United States and Canada as well due to migration.

#11 MULLER

The name comes from the profession 'miller' and comes from Germany. It is often spelled as Mueller or Miller and is Germany's most popular surname. It is also popular in the United States, Switzerland, Australia, and France. Muller is also the fifth most common surname in Austria. In The USA and Canada, as well as parts of Britain, the use of the name is commonly used as Miller.

#12 COHEN

There are several versions of the name such as Coen, Cohn, Kahn, Kohn, Coen, and Kohan. Originally a Hebrew word for a priest, Cohen is now a very common Jewish surname all over the globe. It is the most popular last name in Israel and it frequently occurs in countries with large Jewish communities, though it pops up in different variations in most of the world.

#13 KHAN

A surname and title of Mongolian origin, Khan is a widespread surname in most countries of Central and South Asia, particularly among Muslims. It slowly evolved into a common surname without any political relevance and became unanimous with Muslim men. It is one of the most common last names in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Oman, Turkey, and several other countries. If you go to see a doctor anytime soon his name may just be Kahn, as that is the most popular physician's name in the world and number 8 among registered doctors in North America and Britain.

#14 RODRIGUEZ

Another Spanish surname, Rodriguez is very common in Spain, Latin America, and the US. The name Rodriguez means “Son of Rodrigo”. It is the most popular last name in Colombia, the second most popular last name in Argentina and the ninth most popular last name in Brazil (where it is spelled “Rodrigues”).

#15 ANDERSON

Anderson originated in parallel in the British Isles and the Nordic countries. It derived from a patronymic meaning “son of Anders/Andrew” and is the most popular name in Sweden, Norway, and the second most popular in Denmark. If you live in the United States or Canada and your last name is Anderson, your ancestors most likely came from Norway or Sweden. The name is often spelled as 'Andersen'.

#16 IVANOV

This surname derived from the first name Ivan, the equivalent to John. Sometimes also spelled as Ivanoff or Ivanow, Ivanov is the most widespread last name in Belarus, the second most widespread last name in Russia and it is also very popular in Bulgaria. The first name of Ivan is among the most common in both Russia and Germany and is also a popular choice in Poland.

#17 AHMED

A very common Arabic name, Ahmed has one of the highest number of spelling variations in the world with Ahmad and Ahmet being the most widespread. It is very popular in many Muslim countries such as Sudan, Egypt, Syria, and Bangladesh. The spelling varies from country to country, with the most popular being 'Ahmed'.

#18 LOPEZ

If you're a Lopez, you're not alone. There are over 12 million people with Lopez as a family name and over 700,000 in the United States alone. Derived from the Latin word “lupus” meaning “wolf”, Lopez is a common Spanish last name. Its Portuguese equivalent is Lopes, its Italian equivalent is Lupo, its French equivalent is Loup, its Romanian equivalent is Lupu or Lupescu. Lopez is very popular in Latin America and it is also the most common Spanish surname in the UK.

#19 KIM

Occasionally also romanized as Gim, Kim is the most common surname in the Korean Peninsula, that is in both North and South Korea, accounting for nearly 27% of the population. The name comes from on Kim Clan originating in China then breaking off into two different clans in Korea. It is estimated that about half of the one hundred or so different Kim clans of modern Korea are descended from the Kyongju Kim clan. The meaning of the word is “metal, iron, gold”. The surname is now in the top ranking of names for both Britain and Canada.

#20 PAPADOPOLOUS

Sometimes transliterated as Papadopulos, Papadopoulos is the most common Greek surname. It is used in Greece, Cyprus, and countries of the Greek diaspora as well, such as the USA, the UK, Australia and Scandinavian countries. It means “son of a priest”.

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