100 Cool Popular Last Names
Last names do more than just ascertain.
They carry history, culture, and sometimes even hidden meanings.
Whether you’re Smith, Johnson, or Patel, each of these names has an intriguing origin shaped by ancestry, geography, and occupation.
In this post, we shall discuss some of the common last names, their meanings, and how they became widespread.
Who knows? Maybe you will learn something amusing about your family’s name.
Popular last names
Anderson – Son of Andrew (Greek: “manly, brave”)
Baker – Occupational name for a baker
Bennett – Derived from “Benedictus,” meaning “blessed” (Latin)
Brown – Descriptive name for someone with brown hair or complexion
Carter – Occupational name for a transporter of goods by cart
Clark – Occupational name for a clerk or scholar
Collins – Derived from “Nicholas,” meaning “victory of the people”
Cook – Occupational name for a cook or chef
Cooper – Occupational name for a barrel maker
Davis – Son of David (Hebrew: “beloved”)
Dixon – Son of Dick (Richard: “brave ruler”)
Edwards – Son of Edward (Old English: “wealthy guardian”)
Evans – Son of Evan (Welsh form of John, meaning “God is gracious”)
Fisher – Occupational name for a fisherman
Foster – Occupational name for a foster parent or forester
Garcia – Possibly means “bear” (Basque/Spanish origin)
Gonzalez – Son of Gonzalo (Spanish: “battle, war”)
Graham – From a Scottish place name meaning “gravelly homestead”
Gray – Descriptive name for someone with gray hair
Green – Could refer to someone who lived near a village green or had a youthful appearance
Hall – Someone who lived in or worked at a hall
Harris – Son of Harry or Henry (Germanic: “home ruler”)
Hill – Someone who lived on or near a hill
Jackson – Son of Jack (John: “God is gracious”)
James – Derived from Jacob (Hebrew: “supplanter”)
Jenkins – Son of Jenkin (a diminutive of John)
Johnson – Son of John (Hebrew: “God is gracious”)
Jones – Son of John (Welsh variant)
Kelly – From the Irish name “Ceallach,” meaning “warrior” or “bright-headed”
King – Nickname for someone who behaved like or served a king
Lee – Derived from Old English “leah,” meaning “meadow” or “woodland”
Lewis – Derived from “Ludwig” (German: “famous warrior”)
Martinez – Son of Martin (Latin: “of Mars, the god of war”)
Miller – Occupational name for a mill worker
Mitchell – Derived from Michael (Hebrew: “who is like God?”)
Moore – Derived from “moor,” meaning a person from a marshy area
Morgan – Welsh origin, meaning “sea chief” or “great circle”
Murphy – Irish origin, meaning “descendant of Murchadh” (sea warrior)
Nelson – Son of Neil (Irish: “champion”)
Parker – Occupational name for a park keeper
Perez – Son of Pedro (Spanish form of Peter: “rock”)
Phillips – Son of Philip (Greek: “lover of horses”)
Reed – Descriptive name for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion
Richardson – Son of Richard (Germanic: “brave ruler”)
Roberts – Son of Robert (Germanic: “bright fame”)
Rodriguez – Son of Rodrigo (Spanish: “famous ruler”)
Scott – Originally referred to someone from Scotland
Smith – Occupational name for a blacksmith or metalworker
Taylor – Occupational name for a tailor
Walker – Occupational name for a cloth worker who walked on wool to thicken it
Adams – Son of Adam (Hebrew: “earth” or “man” )
Allen – Derived from Celtic, meaning “handsome” or “cheerful”
Armstrong – Nickname for a strong-armed person
Bailey – Occupational name for a bailiff or steward
Barnes – From Old English “bern,” meaning “barn” or “granary”
Bell – Occupational name for a bell ringer or bell maker
Bishop – Occupational name for someone who worked for a bishop
Black – Descriptive name for someone with dark hair or complexion
Blake – Could mean “pale” (Old English) or “dark” (Old Norse)
Bradley – From a place name meaning “broad meadow”
Bryant – Derived from “Brian,” meaning “noble” or “strong”
Burns – Scottish/Irish surname meaning “stream” or “burned land”
Burton – From a place name meaning “fortified town”
Butler – Occupational name for a wine steward or servant
Campbell – Scottish origin, meaning “crooked mouth”
Carroll – Irish origin, meaning “fierce in battle”
Casey – Irish origin, meaning “vigilant” or “watchful”
Chambers – Occupational name for a servant in a chamber or household
Chapman – Occupational name for a merchant or trader
Cole – Derived from “coal,” referring to a dark complexion or coal worker
Conner – Irish origin, meaning “lover of hounds”
Cunningham – Scottish origin, meaning “milk pail settlement”
Daniels – Son of Daniel (Hebrew: “God is my judge”)
Dennis – Derived from “Dionysius,” the Greek god of wine and revelry
Douglas – Scottish origin, meaning “dark stream”
Duncan – Scottish origin, meaning “brown warrior”
Elliott – Derived from Elijah (Hebrew: “my God is Yahweh”)
Ellis – Derived from “Elijah” or “Elias,” meaning “God is my Lord”
Farmer – Occupational name for a farmer or tax collector
Ferguson – Son of Fergus (Gaelic: “man of vigor”)
Fletcher – Occupational name for an arrow maker
Ford – Someone who lived near a river crossing
Fowler – Occupational name for a bird catcher
Franklin – Occupational name for a free landowner
Freeman – Status name for someone who was not a serf or slave
Gibson – Son of Gilbert (Germanic: “bright pledge”)
Gilbert – From Old German “Gisilbert,” meaning “bright pledge”
Graves – Occupational name for a steward or land manager
Harrison – Son of Harry or Henry (Germanic: “home ruler”)
Holland – Someone from the Netherlands or low-lying land
Hopkins – Son of Hob (a medieval nickname for Robert)
Hudson – Son of Hud (a medieval name related to Hugh)
Hunter – Occupational name for a hunter
Jordan – Derived from the river Jordan, meaning “descend” (Hebrew)
Kelley – Irish origin, meaning “bright-headed” or “warrior”
Lambert – Germanic origin, meaning “bright land”
Lawrence – From Latin “Laurentius,” meaning “from Laurentum” (a Roman city)
Marshall – Occupational name for a horse servant or officer of the court
Norris – From Old French, meaning “northerner”
Webster – Occupational name for a weaver
