Last Name Frequency Checker | How Common Is Your Surname?
Smith is shared by ~2.4 million Americans. Type your last name to see its estimated count, national rank, and rarity tier.
Surname Frequency Checker
Some surnames belong to millions of Americans, while others are shared by only a handful of families nationwide. Enter your last name below to see its estimated population count, national rank, and rarity tier, calculated from official U.S. Census Bureau surname records.
How We Calculate Surname Frequency
The U.S. Census Bureau periodically releases genealogy surname files that record every last name appearing at least 100 times across the population. These files cover well over 150,000 distinct surnames, each with an estimated headcount and a national ranking rank #1 being the most widely held name in the country.
If a surname isn’t found in our results, it likely falls below that 100-person threshold, since the Census Bureau withholds smaller counts to protect individual privacy.
Top 10 Most Common Surnames in the US
| Rank | Surname | Estimated US Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | ~2.4 million |
| 2 | Johnson | ~1.9 million |
| 3 | Williams | ~1.6 million |
| 4 | Brown | ~1.4 million |
| 5 | Jones | ~1.4 million |
| 6 | Garcia | ~1.2 million |
| 7 | Miller | ~1.2 million |
| 8 | Davis | ~1.1 million |
| 9 | Rodriguez | ~1.1 million |
| 10 | Martinez | ~1.1 million |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau surname frequency data.
Why Some Last Names Are More Common Than Others
Many widely-shared surnames originated from medieval occupations, geographic features, or a father’s given name being passed down over generations. Names like Smith and Miller trace back to trades that existed in nearly every town, which is part of why they spread so broadly and stayed common for centuries.
Immigration patterns have also reshaped the surname landscape. Names such as Garcia, Rodriguez, and Martinez have climbed into the national top 10 as Hispanic and Latino populations grew across the U.S. throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
It’s also worth noting that “common” can be relative a surname that feels unusual in one state might be quite common in another, since many families and ethnic communities settled in geographic clusters historically.
Surname Rarity Tiers
| Tier | Estimated US Count | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Very Common | 500,000+ | Among the most recognized surnames nationwide |
| Common | 100,000 – 499,999 | Well known across the country |
| Uncommon | 10,000 – 99,999 | Recognized regionally, less common nationally |
| Rare | 1,000 – 9,999 | Concentrated in specific communities |
| Very Rare | 100 – 999 | Just above the Census reporting threshold |
| Not Published | Fewer than 100 | Too small a population to be publicly reported |
Frequently Asked Questions
Enter your surname into the checker above to see its estimated count, national rank, and rarity tier based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
Smith is the most common surname in the U.S., with an estimated 2.4 million bearers, followed by Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones.
All figures are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s genealogy surname frequency files, which track surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers.
The Census Bureau only publishes surnames held by 100 or more people. If your name doesn’t appear, fewer than 100 Americans likely share it try checking alternate spellings as well.
This calculator is focused on surnames only. It doesn’t calculate combined first-and-last-name frequency.
Conclusion
Your last name carries generations of family history, and Census Bureau data shows exactly how many other Americans carry it today. Enter your surname above to see where it ranks nationally.