What Are The Most Common Last Names In Minnesota?

If you’ve ever met a fellow Minnesotan, there’s a good chance you’ve heard these last names before. They’re the ones that seem to pop up everywhere—from the hockey roster to the coffee shop name tag.

These Last Names Keep Showing Up All Across Minnesota

When it comes to last names here in Minnesota, it's not surprising that many of them are based on our German and Scandinavian heritage. But do you have one of the most common last names in the Land of 10,000 Lakes?

There are a lot of people who call the North Star State home these days. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota's population was 5,793,151 as of July, 2024. That also means, of course, that there are 5,793,151 last names here in the Bold North as well. Now, there are some duplicates, of course. But just which last name is the most common these days in Minnesota?

The Most Common Last Name in Minnesota Revealed

One of my first guesses was the name 'Smith.' As it turns out, Smith *is* the most common last name in the U.S. According to 24/7 Wall Street, the name Smith occurs just a little over 828 times per 100,000 people in the U.S. or about 2.442 million times. But that's not the most common last name in Minnesota, however.

To try to find out what it is, I checked in with the gang over at Ancestry.com. They have compiled a fairly massive database of all the last names (or, surnames, really-- but I always say last name because I'm never sure if a surname is a first or last name) both here in Minnesota and across the country.

And the most common last name here in the Gopher State is... Johnson! (It's also been referred to as the Most Popular Last Name in Minnesota, though, that seems a bit misleading-- you don't choose your last name, right? 'Most Common Last Name' or 'Most Often Occurring Last Name' seems more accurate, if you ask me.) Either way, it's still Johnson.

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Johnson Tops the List, But Anderson and Nelson Aren’t Far Behind

Following the Johnsons in popularity here in Minnesota are the Andersons with the second-most popular last name. And, shout-out to the Nelsons, who nabbed the third-most-popular last name here in the Gopher State, according to Ancestry.com.

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And, cue the sad trombone sound effect: 'St. John' didn't even make the list, either here or over in my home state of Wisconsin. Rats. Here are the Most Common Last Names over in America's Dairyland:

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Curious where your last name ranks? Check out the expanded list HERE. And speaking of popular and common things, did you know over half of all families here in Minnesota own a pet? Keep scrolling to check out the Most Popular Dog Breeds in America!