Most Common Last Names in Georgia

#1

Smith english

75,600

1 in 128

Derived from the Old English smið, meaning metalworker or blacksmith. Smith spread across both the antebellum plantation belt and the Appalachian hill counties, making it Georgia's most universal surname.

#2

Johnson english

66,800

1 in 145

Means 'son of John,' rooted in the Hebrew Yohanan via medieval English. It ranks especially high in Georgia due to its widespread adoption by African American families in Atlanta and Savannah after Emancipation.

#3

Williams welsh

63,900

1 in 152

Means 'son of William,' from the Germanic Willahelm. Georgia's large African American population, concentrated in Fulton and DeKalb counties, makes Williams unusually common relative to its national rank.

#4

Jones welsh

57,200

1 in 169

A Welsh patronymic meaning 'son of John,' carried into Georgia by both colonial settlers and freedmen who chose English surnames after 1865. It appears densely in middle Georgia's historic plantation counties.

#5

Brown english

52,300

1 in 185

An Old English descriptive name referring to dark hair or complexion. Brown is among Georgia's most evenly distributed surnames, appearing in equal measure across Atlanta's suburbs and rural south Georgia.

#6

Davis welsh

39,700

1 in 244

A patronymic from David, rooted in Hebrew meaning 'beloved.' Davis spread through Georgia via Welsh and English settlers who arrived in the coastal lowcountry during the colonial era.

#7

Wilson english

32,900

1 in 295

Means 'son of Will,' a medieval English diminutive of William. The name took hold in north Georgia among Scots-Irish farming families who settled the Piedmont in the early nineteenth century.

#8

Thomas english

32,000

1 in 303

From the Aramaic meaning 'twin,' carried into English via the Apostle Thomas. It is particularly prevalent in Georgia's African American communities, especially in Savannah and Columbus.

#9

Taylor english

32,000

1 in 303

Derived from the Old French tailleur, meaning cloth cutter or tailor. Taylor spread across Georgia's mid-sized cities and rural counties, adopted by both white and Black families after the Civil War.

#10

Jackson english

30,000

1 in 323

Means 'son of Jack,' a medieval English nickname for John. Jackson is disproportionately common in Georgia relative to its national rank, concentrated in Atlanta and Augusta where African American communities grew after Emancipation.

#11

Anderson english

28,100

1 in 345

Means 'son of Andrew,' from the Greek Andreas. Anderson arrived in Georgia with Scots-Irish settlers in the late 1700s and spread across the Piedmont through farming communities.

#12

White english

27,100

1 in 357

An Old English descriptive name for someone with light hair or complexion. White is common throughout Georgia's coastal and river valley counties settled by English colonists in the eighteenth century.

#13

Harris english

27,100

1 in 357

Means 'son of Harry,' a medieval variant of Henry. Harris has notable concentration in Georgia, tied to both Harris County in west Georgia and its widespread adoption among African American families after Emancipation.

#14

Martin latin

26,200

1 in 370

From the Latin Martinus, derived from Mars, the Roman god of war. Martin spread through Georgia partly via French Huguenot settlers who arrived in the colonial era near the Savannah River.

#15

Lewis welsh

26,200

1 in 370

A Welsh form of Louis, ultimately from the Germanic Chlodovech. Lewis is well distributed across Georgia, appearing in both the Appalachian counties and Atlanta's historic African American neighborhoods.

#16

Walker english

25,200

1 in 384

Derived from the Old English wealcere, a worker who processed wool by treading it in water. Walker is common across Georgia's cotton belt counties, where the name took root in the antebellum era.

#17

Robinson english

24,200

1 in 400

Means 'son of Robin,' a medieval diminutive of Robert. Robinson is strongly represented in Georgia's urban centers, particularly Atlanta and Savannah, reflecting its adoption by African American families after the Civil War.

#18

Thompson english

24,200

1 in 400

Means 'son of Thomas,' from the Aramaic via medieval English. Thompson appears across Georgia's north and middle regions, brought by English and Scots-Irish settlers who farmed the Piedmont in the early 1800s.

#19

Garcia spanish

23,300

1 in 416

A Basque-origin Spanish surname of uncertain meaning, likely from a personal name. Garcia entered Georgia's top surnames as Hispanic workers settled in metro Atlanta and north Georgia's poultry-processing counties during the 1990s.

#20

Clark english

22,300

1 in 434

From the Old English cleric, meaning a clerk or scholar. Clark appears in Georgia's earliest colonial land records along the Savannah River and in post-Emancipation records across the Black Belt.