Do you have one of these rare last names in your family tree?

The first thing most people do when starting a family history project is to research their own surname. And, even though we may only learn a small part of our family’s past by doing so, it is always a fascinating undertaking. Our surname, whether it’s a rare name or a name you share with thousands of others, connects us to the generations that came before and it can be a lot of fun to know where it originated.

If you’re lucky enough to have an unusual last name, it can make researching yours past a little easier (or harder, depending on who you ask). After all, there were certainly more women named “Mary Brown” than “Mary Neidherges” in older records. But even if your last name is common, you’re lucky enough to have some rare gems in your family tree. If you’ve been doing research for a while, you know what they are.

Curious about how rare your surname is? If so, many of you have probably used Ancestry’s fun tool to see how the distribution of various last names has changed throughout American history (with data available between 1840 and 1920), But did you know that the US Census Bureau provides more recent information on surname usage?

The bureau tracks the frequency of surnames reported by Americans every ten years, and compiles census surname tables for 1990, 2000, and 2010 census returns. You can download the latest data, a spreadsheet of surnames, and the exact number of claimants, right here.

Interestingly, the five most common American last names as of 2010 (data from the 2020 census is not yet available) haven’t changed that much over time and are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. But the bureau also compiled a list of the fastest-growing surnames in the United States, and they include Zhang, Li, Ali, Liu, and Khan — a testament to our nation’s amazing diversity.

According to Bureau statistics, there were about 6.3 million different surnames in the United States in 2010. And unfortunately, they don’t share the rarest of these names (those that belong to fewer than 100 people), they share those last. Let’s share the name with only 100 entries. So we can’t know for sure what the rarest last name is, but we can get close.

The list below is a selection of these unusual last names, of which there are a little over 1200. To see them all you’ll need to download the full list here and scroll down to find out the nicknames held by the fewest people. Us.

Here List: Russian surnames

Based on the 2010 Census, here are 100 of the most common last names in the United States

Interested in researching your surname or your family tree?

Researching the origins of last names in your family tree can be a fascinating journey and well worth the effort. We suggest sharing what you can about your family’s past first to clear up the confusion and help you get started.

It’s easy to guess what your family name might reveal about your ancestry if you’re not careful. Know that a name, no matter how rare, can have many origins. Make sure you take the time to research the line (often paternal in the US, but not always) that provides you with your surname. See where this family line takes you before you make a judgment about what it might mean.

How can I search a family tree with rare last names?

Researching a family tree that includes rare last names should be done in the same way as any other tree. You will want to start by interviewing family members for details about recent individuals (parents, grandparents, etc.) and then enter this information into a concrete family tree program. Research each person carefully, adding as much factual data as you can to prove it (and always record your sources).

As you work backward in your tree, more and more information will become available through your own research and presentation of record suggestions (if using trees that provide them, help with See the article linked above about family tree programs for. Sometimes it only takes a few generations for you to see where a surname originated – other times you may have to research further back, especially if you have early American colonial ancestors.

Once you can trace the origins of your unusual last name, you’ll be able to do better research on the people who bear it and perhaps even find out why it was coined (many surnames originated in recent Is).

Learning that you only share your surname with a small group of people can be exciting and may help you uncover forgotten stories about your family. For more help building a family tree so you can get started with your research, read our Quick Guide to Building a Family Tree or consider taking an online course.

Here List: Unique last name

FAQ: rare last names in your family tree?