Most Common Last Names in Delaware

#1

Smith english

7,600

1 in 118

Occupational name for a blacksmith or metalworker. Wilmington's iron foundries and shipyards on the Christina River made it one of the most durable surnames in Delaware's industrial community.

#2

Johnson english

7,200

1 in 125

Patronymic meaning son of John, carried to Delaware by English settlers and widely adopted by freedmen in Wilmington after the Civil War. It ranks among the top surnames in New Castle County's historically Black neighborhoods.

#3

Williams welsh

7,000

1 in 128

Welsh patronymic meaning son of William, common among Welsh Quakers who settled New Castle County in the 1680s. Wilmington's African American community also carried the name north from Maryland and Virginia during the late 1800s.

#4

Brown english

5,600

1 in 160

Descriptive name for someone with dark hair or complexion, widespread across English-speaking settlements. It spread through Wilmington's working-class wards during the city's leather and shipbuilding expansion in the late 19th century.

#5

Jones welsh

4,800

1 in 187

Welsh patronymic meaning son of John, among the most distinctive surnames of Delaware's early Welsh Quaker settlers. New Castle County saw concentrated Jones families from Pembrokeshire and Merioneth communities in the 1680s.

#6

Davis welsh

3,900

1 in 230

Welsh patronymic meaning son of David, carried to northern Delaware by Welsh Quakers settling along the Brandywine Creek in the late 1600s. It remains one of the most recognized surnames in New Castle County today.

#7

Miller english

3,300

1 in 272

Occupational name for a grain miller. Brandywine Creek powered numerous grist mills in New Castle County, making Miller a natural fit for families tied to those river communities.

#8

Wilson english

2,900

1 in 309

Patronymic meaning son of Will, introduced to Delaware by Scots-Irish settlers moving south from Pennsylvania in the 1700s. It gained traction in Kent County farming communities through the 18th and 19th centuries.

#9

Taylor english

2,800

1 in 321

Occupational name for a tailor or cloth cutter. Wilmington's garment and leather trades in the 19th century drew Taylor families to the city's industrial corridor along the Christina River.

#10

Moore english

2,700

1 in 332

Habitational name from places called Moore or Moor, meaning marshy ground. English families bearing the name settled Delaware's coastal plain, where the low, wet terrain matched the name's original landscape.

#11

Anderson english

2,500

1 in 359

Patronymic meaning son of Andrew, used by English settlers and adapted by Swedish colonists from the Scandinavian form Anders. Fort Christina-area families bearing this name appear in Delaware land records from the 1640s.

#12

Thomas welsh

2,400

1 in 374

Welsh patronymic meaning son of Thomas, carried to Delaware by Quaker families in the Brandywine Valley. It remains concentrated in New Castle County, where Welsh settlement was heaviest.

#13

Jackson english

2,400

1 in 374

Patronymic meaning son of Jack, a medieval form of John. In Wilmington it is strongly associated with African American families who migrated from Maryland's Eastern Shore during Reconstruction.

#14

White english

2,200

1 in 408

Descriptive name for someone with light hair or pale complexion. English settlers brought it to the colonial towns of New Castle and Dover in the 1600s, and it remained common across all three Delaware counties.

#15

Harris english

2,200

1 in 408

Patronymic meaning son of Harry, a medieval form of Henry. English families carrying the name appeared in Kent and Sussex County land records by the early 1700s.

#16

Martin french

2,000

1 in 449

Derived from the Latin given name Martinus, honoring Saint Martin of Tours. French Huguenot refugees who settled in the Delaware Valley in the late 1600s helped establish the name in the region.

#17

Thompson english

2,000

1 in 449

Patronymic meaning son of Thomas, common among English and Scots-Irish settlers. It spread through Kent County during the 18th century as Scots-Irish migration from Pennsylvania moved south along the Delmarva Peninsula.

#18

Robinson english

1,800

1 in 499

Patronymic meaning son of Robin, a diminutive of Robert. English and Scots-Irish families brought it to Delaware's colonial towns, and it later became common in Wilmington's African American community.

#19

Clark english

1,700

1 in 528

Occupational name for a scribe or clerk in medieval England. Colonial Delaware's merchant and administrative class in New Castle and Dover made Clark recognizable in official records from the early 1700s.

#20

Lewis welsh

1,700

1 in 528

Welsh patronymic from Llywelyn or the Latinized Ludovicus, brought to Delaware by Welsh Quakers who settled New Castle County in the 1680s. It is closely tied to the same Brandywine Creek communities that carried Jones and Davis.