Top 20 Last Names in Louisiana: Origins and Meanings

Top 3 — Louisiana

#2 english

Smith

Occupational

51,821 people

1 in every 94 Louisiana residents

From the Old English smitan, meaning to strike, Smith identified a metalworker or blacksmith. It is the most common surname in the United States overall. In Louisiana, it ranks second rather than first, displaced by Williams due to the state's demographic composition.

#1 welsh

Williams

Patronymic

54,506 people

1 in every 89 Louisiana residents

Derived from the given name William, itself from the Old Germanic Willahelm, meaning resolute protector. In Louisiana, Williams ranks first largely because of the state's substantial African American population, who adopted the surnames of English-speaking enslavers after emancipation. It is the third most common surname nationally but reaches its highest raw count in Louisiana relative to state population compared to most Southern states.

#3 english

Johnson

Patronymic

47,356 people

1 in every 103 Louisiana residents

Meaning son of John, with John derived from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning God is gracious. Johnson is the second most common surname nationally and ranks third in Louisiana. Its prevalence here reflects both Anglo-American settlement in northern Louisiana parishes and post-emancipation surname adoption by African American families statewide.

Name origins â€” top 20 surnames

Name origins - top 20 surnames

Name origins — top 20 surnames

Heritage

Acadian Exiles, Creole Settlers, and the Names They Left Behind

Louisiana's French surname concentration traces directly to the Grand Derangement of 1755, when British forces expelled Acadians from Nova Scotia. Thousands resettled along the Bayou Teche corridor and in parishes like Lafayette, St. Martin, and Vermilion through the 1760s and 1770s, carrying family names that had already been established in Canada for over a century. Those same surnames, Landry, Broussard, Hebert, LeBlanc, Guidry, and Fontenot, remained geographically concentrated in southern Louisiana because the Cajun community was largely self-contained for generations. African American families in the state adopted surnames from English-speaking enslavers, which explains why Williams, Johnson, and Jackson rank disproportionately high compared to neighboring states with smaller Black populations.

Did you know? Guidry is a Louisiana signature surname because it links directly to Acadian resettlement in the Vermilion and Lafayette parish area. The name derives from a Germanic personal name, Widric, filtered through Norman French, and arrived through the Acadian migration of the 1760s.

Top 20 Most Common Last Names in Louisiana

Showing all 20 surnames

Tap a name to expand meaning

Williams welsh

54,506

1 in 89

Smith english

51,821

1 in 94

Johnson english

47,356

1 in 103

Jones welsh

35,409

1 in 138

A Welsh patronymic meaning son of John, derived from the given name Ioan. Jones is the fifth most common surname in the United States. In Louisiana, it appears across both the northern Protestant parishes settled by Anglo-Americans from the Carolinas and Georgia in the early 1800s and in urban New Orleans.

Brown english

33,852

1 in 144

From the Old English brun, referring to brown hair, skin, or complexion. Brown is the fourth most common surname nationally. In Louisiana, it is distributed broadly across the state, with notable concentrations in the northern parishes that received English and Irish migration through the Mississippi and Red River valleys in the early nineteenth century.

Davis welsh

27,532

1 in 177

A patronymic meaning son of David, with David from the Hebrew Dawid, meaning beloved. Davis ranks sixth nationally and sixth in Louisiana, reflecting the state's significant Welsh and English-descended population in the Florida Parishes and the northern uplands settled before statehood in 1812.

Jackson english

25,552

1 in 191

Meaning son of Jack, a medieval diminutive of John. Jackson ranks sixteenth nationally but climbs to seventh in Louisiana, a gap explained by the state's large African American population, many of whom adopted the surname after emancipation. The name is especially common in parishes along the Mississippi River corridor.

Thomas english

23,632

1 in 206

From the Aramaic personal name Toma, meaning twin, transmitted through Greek and Latin into English. Thomas ranks twelfth nationally but reaches eighth in Louisiana, again reflecting post-emancipation surname patterns among African American families in the state's river parishes and urban centers.

Hebert french

21,391

1 in 228

Derived from the Old Germanic personal name Haribert, meaning army-bright, filtered through Norman French as Hebert. Over 41 percent of all Heberts in the United States live in Louisiana, concentrated in Lafayette, St. Mary, and Iberia parishes. The family arrived in Louisiana as part of the Acadian resettlement of the 1760s, having originally emigrated from the Poitou region of France to Nova Scotia in the 1630s.

#10

Miller english

20,747

1 in 235

From the Old English mylenweard or Middle English miller, denoting someone who operated a grain mill. Miller is the seventh most common surname in the United States. In Louisiana, it appears most frequently in the northern parishes and in the German Coast region along the Mississippi River, where German settlers who arrived in the 1720s sometimes anglicized the surname Mueller to Miller.

#11

Landry french

20,495

1 in 238

Derived from the Old Germanic personal name Landric, meaning land-ruler, adopted into French as Landry. Nearly 40 percent of all Landry bearers in the United States live in Louisiana. The Landry family was among the earliest Acadian settlers in Nova Scotia and resettled in the Attakapas and Opelousas districts of southern Louisiana after the 1755 expulsion, with the name now concentrated in St. Mary, Lafourche, and Terrebonne parishes.

#12

Broussard french

18,519

1 in 263

From the French broussard, referring to someone who lived near or in brushwood or scrubland. More than 52 percent of all Broussards in the United States live in Louisiana. The Broussard family, including the Acadian resistance leader Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, was central to the resettlement of the Attakapas district around present-day St. Martinville in the 1760s.

#13

Leblanc french

17,883

1 in 272

From the Old French le blanc, meaning the white one, referring to fair hair or complexion. Nearly 33 percent of all LeBlancs in the United States reside in Louisiana. The LeBlanc family was one of the founding Acadian clans in Nova Scotia and resettled heavily in the Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes of southern Louisiana following the deportation of 1755.

#14

Taylor english

16,957

1 in 287

From the Old French tailleur, meaning cutter, referring to a tailor or garment maker. Taylor is the eleventh most common surname in the United States. In Louisiana, it appears across the state but is more concentrated in the northern parishes that received Anglo-American settlers from the Upper South in the early 1800s.

#15

Martin french

16,892

1 in 288

Derived from the Latin Martinus, a diminutive of Mars, the Roman god of war, and popularized by Saint Martin of Tours. Martin is the seventeenth most common surname nationally. In Louisiana, it appears in both the French Creole south, where it entered through Acadian and French colonial settlement, and in the Anglo-American north.

#16

Wilson english

16,529

1 in 295

Meaning son of Will, a short form of William, from the Old Germanic Willahelm. Wilson ranks ninth nationally. In Louisiana, it is distributed primarily across the northern parishes settled by English-speaking migrants from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia during the territorial period before 1812.

#17

Lewis welsh

16,323

1 in 298

From the Welsh Llywelyn or the Norman French Louis, both ultimately derived from the Old Germanic Hludwig, meaning famous warrior. Lewis ranks twenty-fifth nationally but climbs to seventeenth in Louisiana. It is common among both African American families in the river parishes and Anglo-American families in the Florida Parishes.

#18

Harris english

16,088

1 in 303

A patronymic meaning son of Harry, a medieval English form of Henry, itself from the Old Germanic Heimrich, meaning home-ruler. Harris ranks twenty-first nationally. In Louisiana, it is found across the state with concentrations in East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes.

#19

Guidry french

15,756

1 in 309

Derived from the Old Germanic personal name Widric, meaning wood-ruler, transmitted through Norman French as Guidry. Nearly 60 percent of all Guidrys in the United States live in Louisiana, making it one of the most geographically concentrated surnames in the country. The family settled in the Attakapas and Vermilion districts of southern Louisiana in the 1760s as part of the Acadian resettlement, and the name remains densest in Vermilion and Lafayette parishes today.

#20

White english

15,670

1 in 311

From the Old English hwit, referring to white or fair hair or complexion. White ranks eighteenth nationally. In Louisiana, it appears across the northern and central parishes with Anglo-American heritage, and in New Orleans, where it was also adopted by some free people of color in the antebellum period.

Local Insight

Uniquely Louisiana

These family names rank far higher in Louisiana than nationally — a direct fingerprint of the state's specific immigration waves.

Guidry french

Ranked #19 in Louisiana versus #1708 nationally. That is 1689 spots higher here.

Guidry derives from a Germanic personal name, Widric, filtered through Norman French, and in Louisiana it is almost inseparable from Acadiana. Acadian families carried the name into southern Louisiana during the resettlement of the 1760s, and Vermilion and Lafayette parishes kept it anchored in Cajun communities for generations.

Fontenot french

Ranked #21 in Louisiana versus #1818 nationally. That is 1797 spots higher here.

Fontenot derives from Old French fontenot, a diminutive of fontaine meaning a small spring or fountain, and in Louisiana it belongs especially to the old Opelousas district. Acadian families carried the name into St. Landry and Evangeline parish communities in the late 1760s, where it became one of the classic Cajun surnames.

Boudreaux french

Ranked #25 in Louisiana versus #2213 nationally. That is 2188 spots higher here.

Boudreaux is the Louisiana form of French Boudreau, and the Louisiana family is Acadian, tracing back to Michel Boudreau of La Rochelle and Acadia. In Louisiana the name is unmistakably Cajun, with strong roots in the Teche country and in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes after the Acadian migrations of the 1760s and 1780s. It later became familiar enough in Cajun culture to appear as a stand-in name in Louisiana folk humor.

Broussard french

Ranked #12 in Louisiana versus #1252 nationally. That is 1240 spots higher here.

Broussard comes from French broussard, referring to someone who lived near brushwood or scrubland, and in Louisiana it is tied to the Attakapas country. Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, an Acadian militia leader, helped negotiate the resettlement of Acadian exiles around St. Martinville in the 1760s, anchoring the surname in Lafayette, St. Martin, and Iberia parishes.

Hebert french

Ranked #9 in Louisiana versus #823 nationally. That is 814 spots higher here.

Hebert derives from the Germanic Haribert, meaning 'army-bright,' and became one of the great Acadian family names before it became a Louisiana name. Hebert families were among the early French settlers in Acadia in the 1600s, and descendants resettled in southern Louisiana after the 1755 deportation, especially around Lafayette, St. Mary, and Assumption parishes.

Etymology

Louisiana Last Name Meanings: Occupational, Patronymic & Habitational

Occupational Names

Three of Louisiana's top 20 surnames are occupational: Smith (rank 2), Miller (rank 10), and Taylor (rank 14). That proportion is slightly below the national average for top-20 lists, reflecting the outsized presence of French Acadian patronymics that displace occupational names in the lower half of the ranking. Smith and Miller both have German-language equivalents that were sometimes anglicized by German Coast settlers along the Mississippi River in the 1720s.

Smith (metalworker) Miller (grain mill operator) Taylor (garment cutter)

Patronymic Names

Patronymics dominate Louisiana's top 20, accounting for at least twelve of the twenty surnames. English and Welsh patronymics like Williams, Johnson, Jones, and Davis reflect Anglo-American settlement in the northern parishes and post-emancipation surname adoption by African American families. French patronymics like Hebert, Landry, and Guidry reflect the Acadian resettlement of the 1760s in the southern parishes, giving Louisiana a dual-patronymic structure found in no other state.

Williams (son of William) Johnson (son of John) Hebert (from Germanic Haribert, army-bright) Landry (from Germanic Landric, land-ruler) Guidry (from Germanic Widric, wood-ruler)

Descriptive or Place-Based Names

Descriptive and habitational surnames account for four of Louisiana's top 20: Brown (rank 5), LeBlanc (rank 13), White (rank 20), and Broussard (rank 12). Brown and LeBlanc mean essentially the same thing in their respective languages, a coincidence that reflects Louisiana's bilingual naming heritage. Broussard, meaning one who lived near brushwood, is the only habitational name in the top 20 and is almost entirely unique to Louisiana at the national level.

Brown (brown hair or complexion) LeBlanc (the white or fair one) White (fair hair or complexion) Broussard (dweller near brushwood)

Quick Answers

What is the most common last name in Louisiana?

Williams is the most common last name in Louisiana, with approximately 54,506 bearers recorded in 2010 Census data, giving a ratio of about 1 in every 89 residents. It ranks above Smith and Johnson largely because of Louisiana's substantial African American population, who adopted English surnames after emancipation.

What are the most common Cajun last names in Louisiana?

The most common Cajun surnames in Louisiana are Hebert, Landry, Broussard, LeBlanc, Guidry, Fontenot, and Boudreaux, all of which appear in the state's top 25. Each of these names is carried by 30 to 65 percent of its national bearers in Louisiana alone, concentrated in the Acadiana parishes of Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Martin, and Lafourche. They arrived with Acadian exiles resettling southern Louisiana in the 1760s after the British deportation from Nova Scotia.

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau: Frequently Occurring Surnames from the 2010 Census — The primary source for surname counts, ratios, and national rankings used throughout this page. Data reflects the 2010 decennial census surname file.
Forebears Surname Distribution Database — Used to cross-reference state-level surname concentration percentages and national rank estimates for Louisiana-specific surnames including Guidry, Fontenot, and Boudreaux.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press — Reference for surname etymologies, including Old English, Old French, and Germanic root words used in the meaning fields throughout this page.

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.

#1 Surname: Williams
People named #1: 54,506
1 in every: 89 residents
Top origin: English
State population: 4,533,372
Census year: 2010

Explore More

Data

State Rankings

Compare all 50 states by population, land area, statehood date, and more.

View Rankings

Curated

Collections

Themed lists - states sharing the same bird, oldest symbols, flags with bears, and more.

Browse Collections

Compare

Compare States

Side-by-side comparison of population, area, income, taxes, climate, and more.

Compare Now

Genealogy

Last Names by State

Top 20 most common surnames per state - with origins, meanings, and heritage context. Is yours on the list?

Explore Last Names

Most Common Last Names in Louisiana

Acadian Exiles, Creole Settlers, and the Names They Left Behind

Top 20 Most Common Last Names in Louisiana

Uniquely Louisiana