25 Most Popular Surnames in the World

For those looking to learn more about their heritage, check out the history of the world's most popular surnames.

While last names are common in the United States, the use of surnames had to start somewhere. Initially, they began as a way to identify a person using aspects like their trade, father’s name, place of birth and even their physical features. The creation and use of surnames have evolved over the centuries, but millions of unrelated people share the same surname.

We used data on the most common surnames throughout the world to bring you information on the most popular ones, how many people have each surname and where the name is most prevalent in the world. But perhaps most importantly, we researched the history of the most popular surnames for those looking to learn a bit more about their heritage.

25. Miller

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Number of people: 1,782,049

Most prevalent in: United States

* All surname data was sourced from Forebears.

The History Behind the Name

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While this name is now most prevalent in the United States, its history is English and Scottish. It was the occupational name for a miller. Over the years, the American surname has absorbed many related surnames from other European languages, according to the Dictionary of American Family Names.

Such names include French Meunier, Dumoulin, Demoulins, Moulin; German Mueller; Dutch Molenaar; Italian Molinaro; Spanish Molinero; Hungarian Molnár; Slavic Mlinar; and so on.

24. Joseph

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Number of people: 2,132,193

Most prevalent in: Haiti

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Joseph is most prevalent in Haiti. In the English, German, French and Jewish versions, the surname comes from the personal name, the Hebrew Yosef, which means “may He (God) add (another son).”

In the Book of Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son, but he is sold into slavery by his brothers. He eventually rises to become a leading minister in Egypt, and in the New Testament, he is the husband of the Virgin Mary.

23. John

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Number of people: 2,241,143

Most prevalent in: Nigeria

The History Behind the Name

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The surname John is most prevalent in Nigeria. Its history is English, Welsh and German and dates back to the Hebrew personal name, which was hugely popular in Europe during the Christian era. Jean and Jane stemmed from John as surnames throughout the centuries.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, John is particularly frequent in Wales. It is also used as a given name among Christians in India, and in the U.S., it is often used as a surname among families from southern India.

22. Mendoza

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Number of people: 2,577,950

Most prevalent in: Mexico

The History Behind the Name

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Mendoza is one of the most common Hispanic surnames and is most prevalent in Mexico. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, it is an ancient surname in Spain and was given to someone who came from Mendoza.

The word comes from the Basque root mendi suggesting “son of the mountain dweller” and otz, meaning “cold,” according to ThoughtCo. Eventually, the name was also given to folks who lived on or came from cold mountains.

21. Williams

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Number of people: 2,951,419

Most prevalent in: United States

The History Behind the Name

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Williams is the third most popular surname in the United States. It is also trendy in England, Scotland, Australia and Germany. It is a common patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the name of a father.

In Wales, adding an “s” to the end of a surname denotes “son of,” which points to Wales as the country of origin, according to the Dictionary of American Family Names.

20. Johnson

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Number of people: 3,080,776

Most prevalent in: United States

The History Behind the Name

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Johnson is another common surname in the United States and is also a patronymic name coming from the personal name John.

While its history is English and Scottish, as an American surname, Johnson has absorbed countless variations of the name in continental European languages.

19. Smith

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Number of people: 4,458,855

Most prevalent in: United States

The History Behind the Name

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While Smith is most prevalent in the United States today, it is English in origin and was the occupational name for a metal worker. Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations requiring specialist skills.

Due to its significance, it was one of the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Smiths were essential for their role in making swords, armor and other weapons.

18. Rodriguez

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Number of people: 9,213,157

Most prevalent in: Mexico

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Rodriguez is most prevalent in Mexico today. Its history goes back to Spain, though, where it was a patronymic surname. The “ez” signifies “son of.”

It was also a common surname in Latin America and the Philippines. Its Portuguese equivalent is Rodrigues.

17. Hernandez

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Number of people: 9,229,149

Most prevalent in: Mexico

The History Behind the Name

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Hernandez is a popular surname that is most prevalent in Mexico. It is a patronymic surname meaning “son of Hernando,” or “son of Fernando.” Its history is Spanish (Hernández) and Jewish (Sephardic), but the surname became established worldwide.

Due to the Spanish dominance in Italy, Hernandez was seen in Naples and Palermo. Additionally, as the result of the expulsion of Jewish people from Spain and Portugal, it spread to Italy at the end of the 15th century, according to the Dictionary of American Family Names.

16. Garcia

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Number of people: 10,671,483

Most prevalent in: Mexico

The History Behind the Name

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While the Garcia name is ubiquitous, the origins of the surname aren’t precisely known. According to ThoughtCo’s research into the matter, Garcia could be a patronymic surname, with Garcia being the Spanish form of Gerald, or it could also mean “one who came from Garcia, in Spain.”

The surname could also come from the Basque word hartz, meaning “bear.”

15. Mohamed

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Number of people: 12,136,699

Most prevalent in: Egypt

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Mohamed comes from the Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam between 562 and 632 A.D. It translates to “the praised one.”

Mohamed as a surname has also been recorded in England since the 18th century. It is now found in almost every country but is most prevalent in Egypt.

14. Da Silva

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Number of people: 13,300,564

Most prevalent in: Brazil

The History Behind the Name

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The Da Silva surname is Portuguese and was a topographic name for someone who lived by the woods. The Portuguese word “silva” means forest.

The name was first found in the Portuguese town of Silva, which was once heavily forested. Similar surnames include De Silva, Davila, Silva, La Sala, Silvas and Da Villa.

13. Ahmed

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Number of people: 16,043,515

Most prevalent in: Bangladesh

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Ahmed is most prevalent in Bangladesh and is an Arabic word that means “to praise or praised one.”

In the Quran, Jesus foretells the arrival of Ahmad (the Prophet Muhammad), saying, “I have brought good news about a messenger who will come after me, whose name will be Ahmad.”

12. Kim

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Number of people: 18,794,063

Most prevalent in: South Korea

The History Behind the Name

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Kim is the most common Korean surname and compromises about 20 percent of the Korean population. While Kim families can be found in nearly every part of Korea, there are two dynasties.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, the Kim family of Kimhae and the Kim family of Kyongju are descendants of semi-mythological characters who lived 2,000 years ago. In both family legends, the founders of the Kim families came from golden eggs.

11. Maung

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Number of people: 19,729,446

Most prevalent in: Myanmar

The History Behind the Name

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In Myanmar, formerly Burma, surnames are not necessarily handed down from generation to generation. Additionally, wives don’t typically use their husbands’ surnames. Often people are called by their title, like Maung, which means “young brother,” the Atlantic reported.

Men are often called Maung until they’re about 20 years old. But titles, like Maung, are also often used as first names and surnames.

10. Nguyen

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Number of people: 24,618,203

Most prevalent in: Vietnam

The History Behind the Name

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While the surname Nguyen is most prevalent in Vietnam, it is seen all over the world. In 2013, it was quickly becoming the most popular surname in Australia. It means “musical instrument” and is rooted in Chinese.

There was also a prominent Vietnamese royal dynasty named Nguyen. Similar surnames include Nzuyen, Nguy, Nuhn and Neuens.

9. Ali

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Number of people: 30,848,591

Most prevalent in: Pakistan

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Ali is Muslim and seen throughout the world, though it is most prevalent in Pakistan. It means “high, lofty and sublime.”

The surname goes back to Islamic leader Ali ibn Abi Talib (600-661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the first Imam of the Shiite Muslims.

8. Kumar

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Number of people: 31,770,645

Most prevalent in: India

The History Behind the Name

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The famous surname Kumar is found in various communities and has several meanings, including “child, son and prince.” Kumar is also an epithet of the god Kartikeya, the son of Shiva.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, it also often appears as a first name by itself and as part of a compound given name. Similar surnames include Kumer, Kummer, Kuzma, Kuhar, Kar, Kuser and Kozar.

7. Singh

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Number of people: 35,720,844

Most prevalent in: India

The History Behind the Name

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The common surname Singh comes from the Sanskrit simha, which means “lion or hero.” Originally, Singh was used by Rajput Hindus, and it remains a popular surname for North Indian Hindus.

Sikhs have also adopted the name as a suffix and use the Singh surname, according to ThoughtCo. Similar names include Sing, Ing, Song and Sang.

6. Devi

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Number of people: 71,061,794

Most prevalent in: India

The History Behind the Name

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This popular surname in India was often used as an honorific term in conjunction with the names of women and is often used as a surname by women.

It comes from the Sanskrit Devi and means “goddess.” Female deities are considered to possess virtues like beauty, love, motherhood and fertility.

5. Liu

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Number of people: 74,139,464

Most prevalent in: China

The History Behind the Name

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The surname Liu comes from the state of Liu, which was granted to a descendant of the model emperor Yao (2357-2257 B.C.).

Emperor Gaozu of Han, who was born Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty. Similar names include Lu, Qiu, Li, Lou and Lau.

4. Chen

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Number of people: 74,775,602

Most prevalent in: China

The History Behind the Name

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This surname of the Chen dynasty means “exhibit, display or plead.” It comes from the name of the region Chen, which nowadays is the Henan province.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, Gui Man was granted the area of Chen and the title Marquis of Chen by the first king of the Zhou dynasty. Gui Man was posthumously named Chen Hugong, and his descendants used Chen as a surname.

3. Zhang

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Number of people: 97,975,341

Most prevalent in: China

The History Behind the Name

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One of the most popular surnames in the world is most prevalent in China, and its origins go back 4,500 years to a grandson of the emperor Huang Di. This grandson invented bows and arrows.

For his accomplishments, he was given the surname of the character pronounced as Zhang because it is made up of the symbols for bow and long and means “to stretch open a bow.”

2. Li

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Number of people: 104,892,114

Most prevalent in: China

The History Behind the Name

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This popular surname comes from the state of Li, which is now the Shanxi province. The state of Li existed during the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.), and descendants of the state’s rulers took it as a surname.

Li also means “minister,” which stems from the title of Gao Yao, a famous minister in the 23rd century B.C. His descendants adopted this part of his title as their surname, according to the Dictionary of American Family Names.

1. Wang

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Number of people: 107,002,577

Most prevalent in: China

The History Behind the Name

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The Wang surname comes from the character that means “prince.” The most popular surname in the world is found throughout it but is most prevalent in China.

Numerous unrelated Wang families are descendants of various princes of the Shang (1766-1122 B.C.) and Zhou (1122-221 B.C.) dynasties. The surname also has a history as the name of a state called Wang, where the Xia (2205-1766 B.C.) and Shang (1766-1122 B.C.) dynasties existed.