There are many different ways that families around the world choose last names. In some cultures, the family name is passed down from the father to the children. In other cultures, the family name is chosen by the mother.

In many cultures, a person can have multiple last names. In some cases, a person may have a first name and last name from their father and a middle name and last name from their mother. In other cases, a person may have two last names (a surname) from different ancestors.

There are also some cultures where last names are not used. For example, in Iceland, people typically only use their first names.

If you are interested in the last name traditions around the world or want to know the surnames prevalent in your country. We have assorted a list of most the countries around the globe below. Have a look!

North American last names

There are a lot of different family names in North America. In fact, 10 of the most common family names in America make up over 20% of the population! No matter where in the States you go, you're likely to run into someone with one of these last names. Here are the 10 most common family names in America with the number of people as per 2010 census.

1. Smith - 2,442,977
The Smith family is one of the most common last names in the United States. The name Smith is of English origin and means "one who works with metal".

2. Johnson - 1,932,812
The Johnson surname has a history that dates back to the early days of the United States. The Johnson family has played a significant role in the shaping of the country.

3. Williams 1,625,252
Came from the Old English personal name Willahelm, which means "resolute protector." Additionally, the surname could be derived from the given name Williamson, which is a patronymic form of the personal name William.

4. Brown - 1,437,026
The name Brown is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "brun" meaning "brown" or "dark."

5. Jones - 1,425,470
The name Jones is also of English origin, derived from the Old French word "jone" meaning "God is gracious."

6. Garcia - 1,166,120
Of Spanish origin, it is derived from a patronymic form of the personal name García, itself originally a Visigothic given name meaning "young warrior" or "young bear".

7. Miller - 1,161,437
it is derived from the Old English word mylen, meaning "mill" or "millstream." Thus, the name may have originally been given to someone who worked in or around a mill

8. Davis - 1,116,357
The Davis family is of English origin and can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The Davis name is derived from the given name David.

9. Rodriguez - 1,094,924
The Rodriguez family is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the region of Castile in Spain. The Rodriguez name is derived from the given name Rodrigo.

10. Martinez - 1,060,159
The Martinez family is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the region of Navarre in Spain. The Martinez name is derived from the given name Martin.

These 10 family names are extremely common in America, and if you have one of these last names, chances are you know a lot of other people who do too! Browse through the list of surnames in United States of America.

Some of the less common last names include Nguyen, Kim, Garcia, Patel, and Sharma. These last names might be less common because they come from other parts of the world. For example, Nguyen is a Vietnamese name and Kim is a Korean name. Garcia is a Spanish name and Patel is an Indian name. Sharma is a Hindu name.

Browse through the countries below to know more about the family names spread across the continent.

View Top 10 Last Names
US-American Canadian Dominican Republic Guatemalan Haitian Mexican

European last names

There are many different types of last names in Europe, which reflect the continent's varied history and cultures. Some common European last names include Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller, Davis, Garcia, Rodriguez, and Wilson.

Last names can be traced back to medieval times when people began using them to identify themselves and their families. At first, last names were simply descriptive (e.g., "Baker" or "Butcher"), but over time they became more hereditary. In some parts of Europe, last names are based on where a person is from (e.g., "von Braun" for someone from Germany), while in others they may be based on a person's occupation (e.g., "Smith" or "Tailor").

There are also many unique last names that have been passed down through families for generations. These names often have special meaning or represent an important family tradition. Whether common or unique, last names provide us with a way to connect with our ancestors and learn more about our personal history.

To view the list of all surnames spread across the European continent. Just browse through the following countries.

Albanian Austrian Belarusian Belgian Bosniak Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Finn French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Netherland Norwegian Polish Portugese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenes Spanish Swedish Swiss Turkish Ukrainian United Kingdom

South American last names

There are many different last names in South America. Some of the most common ones are Gonzalez, Rodriguez, and Sanchez. These last names are often passed down from generation to generation. Many of the people who have these last names are of Spanish or Portuguese descent. However, there are also many people with these last names who are of indigenous descent. Have a look below:

Argentines Bolivian Brazilian Chilean Colombian Ecuadorian Peruvian Venezuelan

Asian last names

Asian family names can be interesting and unique. Many Asian cultures have a long history of using surnames, and many Asian surnames have interesting origins and meanings.

Some common Asian surnames include Chen, Choi, Kim, Nguyen, Singh, and Wong. Chen is a common Chinese surname that means "great" or "big." Choi is a Korean surname that means "spring." Kim is a common Korean surname that means "golden." Nguyen is a Vietnamese surname that means "newcomer." Singh is a common Indian surname that means "lion." Wong is a common Chinese surname that means "yellow."

There are many other Asian surnames out there, each with its own meaning and origin. If you're interested in learning more about Asian surnames, you can browse through any of the following Asian countries.

Afghans Azerbaijani Bangladeshi Cambodian Chinese Egyptian Georgian Indian Indonesian Iranian Iraqi Israeli Japanese Kazakh Lebanese Malaysian Nepali Pakistani Filipino Saudi Arabian Sri Lankan Syrian Uzbek Vietnamese

African last names

African family names often reflect the traditions and cultures of the people who live on the African continent. For example, many African last names are based on the tribe or clan that a person belongs to. Other African last names are based on a person's profession or religious beliefs.

Some common African last names include:

  • Kwame (born on Saturday)
  • Nkrumah (warrior)
  • Mandela (troubled one)
  • Wangari (of the tree)
  • Achebe (storyteller)
  • Chinua (God is supreme)

View complete list here:

Algerian Angolan Benin Burkinab Cameroonian Congolese Ethiopian Ghanaian Ivorian Kenyan Moroccan Mozambican Nigerian South African Tanzanian Tunisian Ugandan Zambian Zimbabwean

Australian last names

There are many different types of family names in Australia. The most common type is the patronymic, which is based on the father's given name. Other common types include toponymic (names based on geographical features) and occupational (names based on someone's occupation).

Some of the most popular Australian family names include Smith, Jones, Brown, Williams, Taylor and Nguyen.

You can view the Australian last names here:

Australian