If you are one of the millions named Smith, Jones, Johnson, Brown, and Williams or another common name, have read this article about these names’ origins and meanings. Let’s dive right in.
Most popular last names
Smith is the most frequently occurring last name in the US. It is an occupational name for a blacksmith, one of the first jobs that required specialized skills. Smithery is practiced worldwide, so this name is popular in more than just the US.
Johnson
John means “God’s gift,” and the last name means “son of John.” Jones is a variant of Johnson.
Williams
This is a patronymic last name, “son of William.” Wilson is another common Scottish and English previous name all over the world, and it means “son of Will.” Will is a common nickname for William. William is a combination of wil and helm, meaning “will or desire” resp. “protection or helmet.”
Liam is one of the most popular first names for boys today. It is a shortened variant of William.
Brown
Brown is one of the few descriptive and common last names. It means “brown-skinned” or “brown-haired.”
Garcia
This popular Hispanic last name has a few possible origins. Most likely, it is a patronymic name.
Miller
This is an occupational last name given to someone who milled a coin or grain.
Davis
Davis means “Son of David,” while David means “beloved.”
Rodriguez
Rodriguez is another patronymic last name, “son of Rodrigo.” The name Rodrigo means “prominent ruler.”
Lopez
Lopez means “son of Lope.” Lope is Spanish and comes from a form of Lupus, which means “wolf” in Latin.
Thomas
Thomas means “twin” in Aramaic. It has been a popular first name since the Middle Ages.
Taylor
The last entry on this list is a previous occupational name for a person who worked as a tailor.
Most common first names
According to the official Social Security ranking, this section presents some of the most common first names.
The list starts with Jacob, the father of the founders of the 12 Israeli tribes in the Old Testament. The name James comes from Jacob.
Hebrew origin names
Another popular name, Noah, comes from “Noach” in Hebrew. This word means “comfort” or “rest.”
The name Elizabeth comes from Hebrew through Greek. The Hebrew name “Elisheva” became “Elisabet” in Greek. Elisheva means “God is abundant.” The Latin version of this name is Isabella. In medieval times, many royal women, such as Queen Isabella I of Castile, had this name.
Ethan comes from Eitan in Hebrew, meaning “solid” and “resilient.” It’s also a common name in Canada.
Michael comes from Mikha’el in Hebrew, which is associated with a rhetorical question: who is like God? The idea is that no one is. Still, it has been a popular name in Western Europe since medieval times.
Mia was a nickname for Mariam and Maria, from the Hebrew Miriam, Moses’ sister and a prophet in the Old Testament.
Both the names Daniel and Elijah come from Hebrew. Daniel comes from the prophet “Daniyyel,” meaning “only God can judge me.” Elijah comes from “Eliyyahu,” which means “Yahweh is God” or “my God is Yahweh.”
Greek origin names
Thanks to Alexander the Great, the name Alexander spread like wildfire in Europe. It comes from Greek and means “defender of men.”
Chloe was an alias of the Greek goddess Demeter, who ruled agriculture and the harvest. The name means “young foliage” or “green shoot.”
The Normans adopted the name Ella from the Germanic word “Alia,” meaning “other.” Later, they brought it to England. The term also has Greek roots. It means “bright light.”
One of the most common first names for girls, Sophia, comes from the word “wisdom” in Greek. Emma comes from “ermen,” a Germanic word that means “universal” or “whole.”
Latin origin names
No list of well-liked and known girls’ names can omit Emily, which comes from “Aemilia” in Latin and means “eager” or “striving.”
Germanic origin names
Ava, believed to be a contemporary version of Eve, was short for all Germanic names that started with “avi,” which could have meant “wanted.”
