Any Tom, Dick or Harry in Pennsylvania is most likely to have Smith, Miller or Williams for a last name.

Those are the top three most common surnames in the state, based on phone listings, as noted in an Ancestry.com blog .

It comes as no surprise that Smith also is the most frequently found surname in the nation, topping the list of common last names in all but 10 states.

According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, this English term for a worker in metal is probably derived from smitan — to strike. It refers to one of the earliest and most important specialist occupations and, with equivalent designations in other languages, was perhaps the most widespread occupational-related surname in Europe.

Second- and third-ranked surnames differ somewhat among Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Miller and Johnson come in at the respective No. 2 and No. 3 spots in Ohio and West Virginia.

Johnson rises to No. 2 in Delaware and Maryland, followed by Brown and Jones, respectively. Williams is at No. 2 in New Jersey and New York, followed, respectively, by Johnson and Brown.

Williams is the most common name in Louisiana, while Johnson is the top surname in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In New Mexico, Martinez is the leading name, followed by Garcia — the top name in both California and Texas.

The most common names in Hawaii — Lee, Wong and Kim — don't appear among the top three anywhere else in the country.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6622, jhimler@tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---