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Common US Surnames & Their Meanings

Surname Ranks from the 2000 U.S. Census

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51. PARKER

Population Count: 324,246
A nickname or descriptive surname often bestowed on a man who worked as a gamekeeper at a medieval park.

52. COLLINS

Population Count: 317,848
This Gaelic and English surname has many possible origins, but is most often derived from the personal name of the father, meaning "son of Colin." Colin is often a pet form of Nicholas.

53. EDWARDS

Population Count: 317,070
A patronymic name meaning "son of Edward." The singular form, EDWARD, means "prosperous guardian."

54. STEWART

Population Count: 312,899
An occupational name for a steward or manager of a household or estate.

55. FLORES

Population Count: 312,615
The origin of this common Spanish surname is uncertain, but many believe it derives from the given name Floro, meaning "flower."

56. MORRIS

Population Count: 311,754
"Dark and swarthy," from the Latin "mauritius," meaning 'moorish, dark' and/or from "maurus," meaning moor.

57. NGUYEN

Population Count: 310,125
This is the most common surname in Vietnam, but is actually of Chinese origin, meaning "musical instrument."

58. MURPHY

Population Count: 300,501
A modern form of the ancient Irish name "O'Murchadha," which means "descendant of sea warrior" in Gaelic.

59. RIVERA

Population Count: 299,463
A Spanish surname for one who lived on a riverbank or near a river.

60. COOK

Population Count: 294,795
An English occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or the keeper of an eating house.
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