The 95 most common English surnames

In England and the rest of the United Kingdom there are endless surnames of multiple origins. Although most have their origin in Old English, we also find them with Irish, Scottish and Welsh roots, in addition to having Norman and Germanic influences.

As in other parts of the world, most surnames are patronymic, although we also find them toponymic and related to the profession of an ancestor.

Today we are going to discover the 95 most common English surnames and we will see what its origins and meaning are. Do not miss them!

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The 95 most common English surnames (and what they mean)

In England, the first records of the use of surnames date back to the eleventh century, a time when they were only common among noble families. As the centuries passed and the 15th arrived, there was a greater number of English whose families had adopted surnames, although the custom would not become fully popular in the rest of Britain until the 19th century. XVII.

As in other countries, the most common surnames among English are patronymic, that is, those that derive from the name of an ancestor, such as Johnson, originally meaning "son of John ". Toponymics are also common, referring to the place of birth or residence, and occupations, where what stands out is the profession of the person who wore it.

Originally, women took their husband's last name upon marriage and children always received the father's last name. However, with the passage of time and changes in the civil registry, it is now possible for English women not only to keep their last name but also to give it to their children.

The surname of the children can be changed at any time by the minor's representative, or by himself when he reaches the age of majority.

Next we are going to discover which are the 95/100 most common English surnames, in addition to their etymological origin and meaning.

1. Smith

Smith means "blacksmith" and it was a surname given to those who dedicated themselves to this profession.. It is the most common surname in England and in most English-speaking countries. There are currently about 632,854 who have it as their first surname in England.

2. Jones

Jones is a shortened way to indicate "son of Johan." Johan is a name of Hebrew origin, being the origin of John and Juan, which means "God is favorable".

3. Taylor

Taylor means "tailor", a surname given to those who had this profession. In English, this word derives from the French "tailler", which means "to cut".

4. Brown

Brown translates into Spanish as "brown" and originally It was a pinch assigned to who had the color of hair, eyes or skin tone of brown or tan. It derives from Old English and, in turn, from the French word "brun."

5. Williams

Williams is the patronymic of William, a masculine name that means “willful protector”.

6. Wilson

Wilson means "son of Will", another of the forms that the name William took in the British Isles.

7. Johnson

Johnson translates to "son of John."

8. Davies

Davies, variant of Davis, is a patronymic surname that means "son of David". David is a proper name that means "beloved."

9. Robinson

Robinson means "son of Robin", which is a diminutive of the name Robert.

10. Wright

Wright comes from the word "wryhta", used to describe the profession of those who worked with wood creating objects with it. It later became synonymous with worker, and applied to a wide variety of occupations.

11. Thompson

Thompson or Thomson is an English surname meaning "son of Thomas". This name comes from Aramaic and translates as "twin."

12. Evans

Evans is the patronymic of Evan, meaning "son of Evan." This name is an adaptation of the Welsh form Iefan, which in Spanish is Juan e Iván.

13. Walker

Walker is a surname that comes from a very common occupation in the Middle Ages that consisted of making fabrics thicker, an action called “walking”.

14. White

White means “white” in English and it was probably assigned to people who had very white hair or skin.

15. Roberts

Roberts is a patronymic surname that means "son of Robert". This name is of Germanic origin, derived from the name Hrodebert, composed of hróðr "fame" or "glory" and "berht", "brilliant", meaning "the one who shines for his glory". A variant is Robertson

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16. Green

Green is a surname used for those who had green eyes. It is also believed that it could derive from the term "village green", a common meadow for the inhabitants of a town, being in this case a toponymic surname.

17. Hall

Hall is literally translated as "hall" and it is believed that the people who were assigned this surname for the first time were people who were in charge of the domestic service of the house of some noble.

18. Thomas

Thomas is the name and surname that designates the one who is the son of a Thomas.

19. Clark

Clark is an alteration of the word "clerk", translatable as "secretary". It is a word whose etymological origin is the same as that of "clergyman", since it comes from the Latin "clericus". This was the name of the office that consisted of keeping written records of what happened throughout the year, a task usually carried out by the Church in medieval times.

Another form of this surname is Clarke.

20. Jackson

Jackson is a patronymic surname that means "son of Jack". Jack is a variant of John, the English version of John.

21. Wood

Wood means both wood and forest, and is probably a toponymic surname assigned to those who lived in wooded areas or near a forest. It was also assigned to those who had the profession of woodcutter.

22. Harris

Harris is a patronymic surname that means "son of Harry." Harry is a loving way of saying Henry, which means "head of the country" or "ruler of the nation."

23. Edwards

Edwards is another patronymic surname translatable as "son of Edward." This name can be interpreted as "prosperous guardian".

24. Turner

Turner is a surname whose origin is in the profession of those who worked with both metal and bone with the help of a lathe. It is also believed that it could come from the profession of a language translator or interpreter.

25. Martin

Martin is both a name and a surname, very widespread in Anglo-Saxon countries. Its meaning is "from Mars" or "from the god of war." It derives from the Latin proper name Martinus.

26. Cooper

Cooper was the name used for those who worked in the manufacture and repair of barrels or casks, being its translation into Spanish "cooper". It derives from the Dutch word "kup", which means "container", which evolved to "coop" in English.

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27. Hill

Hill can be translated as "hill" or "mountain". It is a toponymic surname used for people who lived near one of these landforms.

28. Ward

Ward has diverse roots. One of them is in Old English to refer to the guards, and it was assigned to those who had that profession. Another of its origins could come from the English word for swamp, "werd". It is also believed that it could come from "bard" ("bard"), medieval poets and singers.

29. Hughes

Hughes is a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Hugh". This name can mean as "mind", "soul" or "intellect" if its origin is considered as Germanic. If you take it as Welsh, it means "fire."

30. Moore

Moore can have various origins. The first is the word "moor", "moor" in English, but it can also mean "Moor", referring to a dark-skinned person. It could also be a toponymic surname, referring to the name of a city.

31. King

King literally means king. It comes from Old English, specifically from the word "cyning", which meant "chief of the tribe."

32. Harrison

Harrison has the same origin as the Harris surname, meaning "son of Henry."

33. Lewis

Lewis has diverse origins. One of them is that it would be the patronymic surname for the English form of Ludovico or Luís, a name that means “winner of the games”. It could also derive from the German Ludwig, which means "famous warrior", equivalent to the French forms Clovis, Louis and Lowis.

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34. Baker

This surname has its origin in the profession of the baker, literally meaning that in English. The surname Baker was assigned to those who worked producing bread or who were in charge of a communal oven. In the case of women it was used as the last name Baxter.

35. read

Lee has its origins in the Old English word "lēah", which translates to "meadow" or "forest glade." That is why it is considered a toponymic surname that should be given to people who lived in a place with these characteristics.

36. Allen

It is a surname of various etymological origins. In some cases it can be interpreted as "handsome", while in others it can mean "small stone" and even "harmony".

37. Morris

Morris comes from the French name Maurice, which derives from the Latin Mauritius, which means "from Mauritania."

38. Scott

Scott is a Scottish surname that literally means "Scotsman." This was the name given to people who came from Scotland or near that constituent nation of the United Kingdom.

39. Watson

Watson is patronymic and means "son of Walter", a name that can be interpreted as "mighty warrior".

40. Parker

Parker comes from the ranger occupation, assigned to whoever had that profession or who was in charge of the maintenance and administration of a park.

41. James

James is a patronymic surname that is also a person's name. It is the English version of Jacobo, Jaime and Diego, all of them derived from the Hebrew Ya’akov.

42. Bennett

Bennet derives from the Latin proper name Benedictus, which means "blessed" or "well said." It can also mean "one who is well spoken of."

43. Young

Young means “young” in English and was originally used to distinguish between a father and a son who had the same name.

44. Phillips

It is a patronymic surname that means “son of Phillip”, a name that means “horse lover”.

45. Richardson

Richardson means "son of Richard", name that means “brave leader” and “strong ruler”.

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46. Mitchell

Mitchell derives from the name Michael or Miguel, of Hebrew origin that means "Who is like God?" It may also come from the words "mechel", meaning "big."

47. Bailey

Bailey is a corruption of the English word "bailiff", derived from the medieval French "bailli", which means "bailiff".

48. Sump

Carter is linked to the occupation that consisted of carrying objects in a cart or "cart" and derives, in turn, from the Latin word for carter, which is "carettarius".

49. Cook

Cook is a name derived from the profession of cook, this being its literal meaning. In some cases it was given to those who ran restaurants or sold cooked meat in an inn.

50. Shaw

Shaw is a toponymic surname, used for people who lived near a small forest or "shaw" in English.

51. Bell

Bell may come from the profession of the bell maker or ringer, that is, who gave the announcements on the streets. It could also have been assigned to those who lived near a bell tower. Another possibility is that it had its origin in the French name Bel, which in that language means “beautiful”.

52. Collins

Collins is a patronymic surname, derived from a very popular name in both England and Scotland: Colin, short for Nicholas. It is also believed that this surname could have its origins in the Welsh word for hazelnut, which is "cnau cyll".

53. Morgan

Morgan is a variation of the Welsh proper noun Morcant, made up of “mor”, which means “sea”, and “cant”, which means “circle”.

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54. Kelly

Kelly is rooted in Gaelic languages ​​and has various meanings, being "shiny-haired", "warrior" or "troublesome".

55. Miller

Miller is a surname used for people who were engaged in the profession of a miller or who lived near a mill.

56. Cox

Cox is another surname with various origins. On the one hand we have the Old English word “cocc”, which meant “the little one”. There is also the root of the Old English "cock", which meant "mound or hill" (now it means something very different) and the Welsh "coch", which means "red."

57. Marshall

Marshall derives from the francian language, a combination of the terms "mare" ("horse") and "skalkoz", ("servant"). It may mean "horse lover." With the passage of time this word would become the one used to describe the military rank of marshal.

58. Simpson

The literal meaning of him is 'son of Simon'. It comes from the Hebrew name Shim’on, which translates to “one who has heard God”.

59. Price

Price is of Welsh origin and translates to “son of Rhys”, a name that means “enthusiasm”.

60. Anderson

Anderson is a patronymic surname that means "son of Andrew." In turn, the etymological origin of Andrew comes from the Greek Andreas, closely related to "anthro", related to the masculine and meaning "man".

61. Adams

This surname is very common in Anglo-Saxon countries and means “son of Adam”.

62. Wilkinson

Wilkinson is a patronymic surname that means "son of Wilkin", affectionate form for the name William, Guillermo in English.

63. Foster

Foster comes from the title given to those who were in charge of caring for and administering the territories for the hunt of a noble or a high-ranking cleric, usually forests.

64. Ellis

Ellis has several meanings depending on what origin we look at. One of them derives from the French "fleur de lys", another comes from the Welsh "elus" which means "charitable". It is also a proper name, used for both men and women.

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65. Murphy

Murphy is a patronymic surname of Irish origin adapted to English. It was originally Ó Murchadh, which means "son of Murchadh." This name means "warrior of the sea", since "muir" means "sea" and "cath" is "battle".

66. Chapman

Chapman is a surname that means "merchant" and comes from the Old English term "ceap", which meant "business or shop", and "man", which means "man". It can literally be translated as "businessman".

67. Mason

Mason is a surname that is related to the people who are dedicated to a quarry preparing stones for use in construction.

68. Gray

Gray is a surname that was assigned to those who had grayish hair or eyes.

69. Richards

Richards means "son of Richard", a name that means "brave leader" and "strong ruler."

70. Webb

Webb is related to the profession of weaver, in English “weaver”.

71. Griffith

Griffith or Griffiths is a surname of Welsh origin, whose normative version in that language is Gruffudd. It means "strong lord" and was very popular with the Welsh princes.

72. Hunt

Hunt is a surname that is related to the occupation of hunter, in English "hunter". It would derive from the old English "hunta".

73. Palmer

Palmer translates as "palmero", a surname that was assigned to those who performed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and returned with consecrated palms as proof that they had arrived to Israel.

74. Campbell

Campbell has Gaelic origins. "Cam" means "crooked" and "beul" means "mouth", which can translate this surname as "crooked mouth." It was common to use it to assign people who had very bad teeth, although it was also used as a nickname for those who often swore.

75. Holmes

There are several origins that the Holmes surname could have. One of them would be the name given to an individual who lived on an island, as that would be its meaning in Old Norse. Another is the one that relates this surname to holly trees, which in Middle English used to be called "holm."

76. Mills

Mills is a variant of Miller, related to people who lived or worked in a mill.

77. Rogers

Rogers means “son of Roger”, a name that means “famous spear”.

78. Barnes

Barnes is a surname of multiple origins. One of them is that it is toponymic, adopted by those who lived near a barn, "barn" in English, or by those who worked in it. Another of the origins that it is believed that it could have is that it derives from the Old English "beorn", which meant "warrior", or from the Old Norse "bjǫrn" or "björn", which means "bear".

79. Knight

Kinght means "knight" in modern English, and comes from the Middle English "knyghte" and, in turn, from the old "cniht", which means "young servant". With the passage of time it became the way to designate a noble title.

80. Matthews

Matthews is another patronymic surname that means “son of Matthew”, English form for the name Mateo meaning “gift from Jehovah”.

81. Barker

Barker derives from the profession of leather tanner. "Bark" in English means bark, and it was common in the Middle Ages that some trees were used to make leather of vegetable origin. In some cases this surname was also assigned to shepherds due to the influence of the French word “bercher”, which means “shepherd” in the Gallic language.

82. Powell

Powell is a variation of Hywel, coming to mean "son of Hywel". It is of Welsh origin and means "eminent".

83. Stevens

It is a patronymic meaning "son of Steven" (or Stephen), which means "victorious" or "the crowned".

84. Fisher

Fisher is a surname derived from the fisherman's occupation, which is what it means in English. It was given to those people who made a living from fishing or who were near a river or a fishing port.

85. Butler

Butler is a surname that comes from the butler profession. It comes from the French “bouteiller”, which can literally be translated as “who brings the wine bottles”. With the passage of time this word would become the one used to call the highest ranking servant within the staff of the houses of the nobility.

86. Russell

Russell is an English surname introduced in Norman times, so it is believed to be a deformation of the French word "roux", which means "red", alluding to the reddish color of the wearer's hair original.

87. Harvey

The most accepted origin for the Harvey surname is that it is of Breton origin, popularized when England occupied what is now French Brittany. It could be a modification of the names Aeruiu or Haerviu, composed of “haer”, which means “battle” and “viu”, which means “worthy”, that is, “worthy of battle”.

88. Pearson

Pearson comes from the proper name Pierre, introduced by the Norman elites in medieval England. It means "son of Pierre."

89. Graham

Graham is a toponymic surname referring to the city of Grantham, a city that is located in Lincolnshire.

90. Murray

Murray has varied origins. One of them is that he would come from Scottish, relating to the word "moireabh" ("coastal settlement"). The other would come from the Irish expression "Mac Giolla Mhuire" ("son of the servant of the Virgin Mary").

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91. Gibson

Gibson is a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Gilbert." Gilbert is a proper name of German origin, composed of two parts: "gisil", which means "hostage" or "bright arrow"; and "berht", which means both "famous" and "noble."

92. Stewart

Stewart comes from Old English Stigeweard, composed of "stige" ("room") and "weard" ("guardian".)

93. Lloyd

Lloyd is a surname of Welsh origin, derived from the word "Ilwyd", which means "gray" and should be given to people with hair or eyes of that color.

94. Owen

Owen is both surname and first name and comes from Eugenius, meaning "noble and well-born."

95 Jenkins

Jenkins means "son of Jenkins", proper English name that means "little John."