When you think of common last names, in any given place, you wouldn't think there would be a shortage of a Smith or a Miller, but that may just depend on where you live.

Ancestry.com decided to see what the top three last names in each state were. In North Dakota, they are Johnson, Anderson, and Olson. 'Johnson' turned out to be the second-most common last name in the country.

The most common, by no surprise to anyone, is 'Smith,' which oddly isn't in the top three for North Dakota. 'Miller' turned up as the third most common last name in the country.

Several Midwestern states finished with Smith, Johnson, and Williams in their top three, while the Southwestern states, along with Texas were favorable towards Smith, Garcia, and Martinez.

The obvious factors taken into account are family history, immigration, and geography. For instance, in Massachusetts, where you may find more people of Irish descent is the only state with 'Sullivan' in its top three. Meanwhile, the top three in Hawaii are Lee, Wong, and Kim. None of those are in the top three in any other state.

It seems that it really does depend on where you're located geographically speaking that will determine what you'll find as the most popular last names in your state.

 

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