Between 2010 and 2020, the five most common surnames in the United States remained unchanged, with 'Smith,' 'Johnson,' 'Williams,' 'Brown,' and 'Jones' topping the list. however, the most significant growth in surname popularity came from Asian names, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Asian surnames like 'Zhang,' 'Liu,' and 'Wang' saw the most substantial increases during this period.

The Top 10 Surnames: A Decade of Stability

The top five surnames in the U.S. have remained consistent for decades, with 'Smith,' 'Johnson,' 'Williams,' 'Brown,' and 'Jones' maintaining their positions. According to the Census Bureau, the top 10 surnames in 2020 also included 'Garcia,' 'Miller,' 'Rodriguez,' 'Davis,' and 'Martinez.' The only change from 2010 was 'Rodriguez' overtaking 'Davis' to claim the eighth spot.

Asian Surnames Lead the Growth

While the overall top surnames remained stable, the Census Bureau reported that Asian surnames experienced the most significant growth between 2010 and 2020.. The three most prominent Asian surnames were 'Zhang,' 'Liu,' and 'Wang.' This growth reflects the broader trend of Asians being the fastest-growing ethnic or racial group in the U.S., now accounting for 7% of the population.

Ethnic and Racial Variations in Surname Popularity

The Census Bureau also provided data on the most frequent surnames among different ethnic and racial groups... Among people identifying solely as Asian, the most common surnames were 'Xiong,' 'Zheng,' 'Zhu,' 'Zhao,' and 'Vang.' For African Americans, the common surnames included 'Pierre,' 'Washington,' and 'Jefferson.' Among Caucasians, the most frequent names were 'Yoder,' 'Friedman,' 'Schwartz,' 'Weiss,' and 'Krueger .' For Native American and Alaskan residents, the top surnames were 'John,' 'Lowery,' 'Hunt,' 'Sampson,' and 'Jacobs.'

First Names: A Look at Popularity Over Time

The 2020 Census was the first since 1990 to provide data on first names. The most popular male first names at the start of the decade were 'Michael,' 'John,' 'James,' 'David,' and 'Robert.' For female first names,the most common ones were 'Mary,' 'Maria,' 'Jennifer,' 'Elizabeth,' and 'Patricia.' There has been little change since 1990, although there was slightly more variety in female names. At that time, the top male names were 'James,' 'John,' 'Robert,' 'Michael,' and 'William,' while the top female names were 'Mary,' 'Patricia,' 'Linda,' 'Barbara,' and 'Elizabeth.'