Your name is Lopez? Angel Lopez? I think I know your cousin

by

lopezWhat’s in a name? LOPEZ is #21 on the charts and moving up fast according to Wikipedia, but Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez and Hernandez are still in the lead.

Wikipedia: List of Common U.S. Surnames

All figures are for the 2000 US Census, except for the 1990 Rank column which is for the 1990 US Census.

During the 2000 US Census, the top hundred surnames in the U.S. were:

Name Rank 1990 Rank Change Total number Frequency per 100,000 Cumulative per 100,000 White Black Asian or
Pacific Islander		 Native American
or Alaskan		 Multiracial Hispanic
Smith 1 1 0 2,376,207 880.85 880.85 73.35 22.22 0.4 0.85 1.63 1.56
Johnson 2 2 0 1,857,160 688.44 1569.3 61.55 33.8 0.42 0.91 1.82 1.5
Williams 3 3 0 1,534,042 568.66 2137.96 48.52 46.72 0.37 0.78 2.01 1.6
Brown 4 5 Increase 1 1,380,145 511.62 2649.58 60.71 34.54 0.41 0.83 1.86 1.64
Jones 5 4 Decrease −1 1,362,755 505.17 3154.75 57.69 37.73 0.35 0.94 1.85 1.44
Miller 6 7 Increase1 1,127,803 418.07 3572.82 85.81 10.41 0.42 0.63 1.31 1.43
Davis 7 6 Decrease −1 1,072,335 397.51 3970.33 64.73 30.77 0.4 0.79 1.73 1.58
Garcia 8 18 Increase 10 858,289 318.17 4288.5 6.17 0.49 1.43 0.58 0.51 90.81
Rodriguez 9 22 Increase 13 804,240 298.13 4586.62 5.52 0.54 0.58 0.24 0.41 92.7
Wilson 10 8 Decrease −2 783,051 290.27 4876.9 69.72 25.32 0.46 1.03 1.74 1.73
Martinez 11 19 Increase 8 775,072 287.32 5164.22 6.04 0.52 0.6 0.64 0.46 91.72
Anderson 12 11 Decrease −1 762,394 282.62 5446.83 77.6 18.06 0.48 0.7 1.59 1.58
Taylor 13 10 Decrease −3 720,370 267.04 5713.87 67.8 27.67 0.39 0.75 1.78 1.61
Thomas 14 12 Decrease −2 710,696 263.45 5977.33 55.53 38.17 1.63 1.01 2 1.66
Hernandez 15 29 Increase 14 706,372 261.85 6239.18 4.55 0.38 0.65 0.27 0.35 93.81
Moore 16 9 Decrease −7 698,671 259 6498.17 68.85 26.92 0.37 0.65 1.7 1.5
Martin 17 16 Decrease −1 672,711 249.37 6747.54 77.47 15.3 0.71 0.94 1.59 3.99
Jackson 18 13 Decrease −5 666,125 246.93 6994.47 41.93 53.02 0.31 1.04 2.18 1.53
Thompson 19 17 Decrease −2 644,368 238.87 7233.34 72.48 22.53 0.44 1.15 1.78 1.62
White 20 14 Decrease −6 639,515 237.07 7470.4 67.91 27.38 0.39 1.01 1.76 1.55
Lopez 21 32 Increase 11 621,536 230.4 7700.81 5.85 0.61 1.04 0.47 0.52 91.51
Lee 22 24 Increase 2 605,860 224.59 7925.4 40.09 17.41 37.83 1.03 2.3 1.34
Gonzalez 23 38 Increase 15 597,718 221.57 8146.97 4.76 0.37 0.38 0.18 0.33 93.99
Harris 24 15 Decrease −9 593,542 220.02 8366.99 53.88 41.63 0.36 0.65 2.02 1.45
Clark 25 21 Decrease −4 548,369 203.28 8570.27 76.84 18.53 0.41 0.94 1.6 1.68
Lewis 26 23 Decrease −3 509,930 189.03 8759.3 60.97 33.83 0.45 1.14 1.97 1.64
Robinson 27 20 Decrease −7 503,028 186.47 8945.77 51.34 44.1 0.37 0.51 1.99 1.68
Walker 28 25 Decrease −3 501,307 185.83 9131.61 61.25 34.17 0.35 0.83 1.8 1.6
Perez 29 42 Increase 13 488,521 181.09 9312.7 5.95 0.48 1.18 0.26 0.48 91.65
Hall 30 26 Decrease −4 473,568 175.55 9488.25 75.11 20.75 0.48 0.63 1.63 1.4
Young 31 28 Decrease −3 465,948 172.73 9660.97 68.91 23.79 2.95 0.73 1.93 1.69
Allen 32 27 Decrease −5 463,368 171.77 9832.74 70.24 25.14 0.41 0.83 1.77 1.62
Sanchez 33 52 Increase 19 441,242 163.57 9996.31 5.77 0.5 1.01 0.49 0.45 91.78
Wright 34 31 Decrease −3 440,367 163.24 10159.55 68.3 27.36 0.4 0.66 1.75 1.52
King 35 30 Decrease −5 438,986 162.73 10322.28 72.8 22.02 0.88 0.97 1.71 1.62
Scott 36 34 Decrease −2 420,091 155.73 10478.01 62.6 32.26 0.41 1.15 1.9 1.68
Green 37 35 Decrease −2 413,477 153.27 10631.29 59.33 36.23 0.34 0.61 1.78 1.71
Baker 38 37 Decrease −1 413,351 153.23 10784.51 82.08 13.63 0.45 0.83 1.54 1.47
Adams 39 36 Decrease −3 413,086 153.13 10937.64 76.17 19.2 0.45 0.79 1.63 1.76
Nelson 40 39 Decrease −1 412,236 152.81 11090.46 80.29 14.93 0.51 1.09 1.49 1.68
Hill 41 33 Decrease −8 411,770 152.64 11243.1 66.83 28.42 0.42 0.91 1.78 1.64
Ramirez 42 70 Increase 28 388,987 144.2 11387.3 4.4 0.29 0.97 0.27 0.4 93.67
Campbell 43 46 Increase 3 371,953 137.88 11525.18 76.47 19.13 0.43 0.65 1.67 1.65
Mitchell 44 41 Decrease −3 367,433 136.21 11661.38 63.55 31.52 0.39 0.98 1.93 1.63
Roberts 45 43 Decrease −2 366,215 135.75 11797.14 79.56 15.86 0.47 0.85 1.67 1.58
Carter 46 40 Decrease −6 362,548 134.4 11931.53 60.51 34.99 0.39 0.71 1.88 1.52
Phillips 47 45 Decrease −2 351,848 130.43 12061.96 78.95 16.36 0.45 0.99 1.68 1.58
Evans 48 48 0 342,237 126.87 12188.83 70.65 25.05 0.4 0.68 1.67 1.55
Turner 49 44 Decrease −5 335,663 124.43 12313.26 66.67 29.31 0.33 0.56 1.72 1.4
Torres 50 67 Increase 17 325,169 120.54 12433.8 6.05 0.58 1.42 0.26 0.53 91.16
Parker 51 47 Decrease −4 324,246 120.2 12554 71.49 24.09 0.44 0.85 1.67 1.46
Collins 52 50 Decrease −2 317,848 117.83 12671.82 73.92 21.7 0.37 0.75 1.65 1.61
Edwards 53 49 Decrease −4 317,070 117.54 12789.36 65.16 30.21 0.4 0.75 1.84 1.63
Stewart 54 51 Decrease −3 312,899 115.99 12905.35 71.78 23.83 0.38 0.74 1.69 1.59
Flores 55 89 Increase 34 312,615 115.89 13021.23 5.57 0.47 2.15 0.43 0.54 90.84
Morris 56 53 Decrease −3 311,754 115.57 13136.8 75.92 19.29 0.43 0.93 1.7 1.73
Nguyen 57 228 Increase 172 310,125 114.96 13251.76 1.26 0.18 95.93 0.04 2.01 0.58
Murphy 58 59 Increase 1 300,501 111.39 13363.16 85.05 11.03 0.43 0.65 1.29 1.54
Rivera 59 61 Increase 2 299,463 111.01 13474.17 5.92 1.06 2.06 0.24 0.55 90.17
Cook 60 56 Decrease −4 294,795 109.28 13583.45 83.52 12.27 0.44 0.86 1.48 1.42
Rogers 61 54 Decrease −7 294,403 109.13 13692.58 77.8 17.66 0.42 0.77 1.58 1.77
Morgan 62 57 Decrease −5 276,400 102.46 13795.04 78.47 16.47 0.42 1.15 1.64 1.86
Peterson 63 68 Increase 5 275,041 101.96 13897 86.29 9.58 0.52 0.7 1.33 1.56
Cooper 64 66 Decrease −2 270,097 100.12 13997.12 70.36 25.26 0.4 0.76 1.69 1.54
Reed 65 55 Decrease −10 267,443 99.14 14096.26 73.51 21.97 0.4 1 1.67 1.45
Bailey 66 60 Decrease −6 265,916 98.57 14194.84 74.77 21.14 0.4 0.61 1.63 1.45
Bell 67 58 Decrease −9 264,752 98.14 14292.98 63.57 31.78 0.41 0.9 1.8 1.55
Gomez 68 121 Increase 53 263,590 97.71 14390.69 6.1 0.81 1.04 0.34 0.54 91.16
Kelly 69 74 Increase 5 260,385 96.52 14487.22 80.39 15.48 0.49 0.55 1.35 1.73
Howard 70 65 Decrease −5 254,779 94.45 14581.66 66.83 28.69 0.38 0.82 1.74 1.55
Ward 71 66 Decrease −5 254,121 94.2 14675.86 77.79 17.77 0.4 0.83 1.57 1.64
Cox 72 64 Decrease −8 253,771 94.07 14769.94 84.48 11.55 0.39 0.64 1.42 1.52
Diaz 73 99 Increase 26 251,772 93.33 14863.27 6.17 0.73 1.19 0.22 0.47 91.22
Richardson 74 63 Decrease −11 249,533 92.5 14955.77 62.25 32.77 0.36 1.05 1.82 1.75
Wood 75 78 Increase 3 247,299 91.67 15047.44 90.06 5.61 0.51 0.82 1.4 1.6
Watson 76 72 Decrease −4 242,432 89.87 15137.31 68.58 26.85 0.47 0.8 1.72 1.58
Brooks 77 73 Decrease −4 240,751 89.25 15226.56 62.72 32.67 0.41 0.75 1.83 1.62
Bennett 78 77 Decrease −1 239,055 88.62 15315.17 79 16.51 0.41 0.89 1.54 1.65
Gray 79 69 Decrease −10 236,713 87.75 15402.92 71.13 24.36 0.44 0.84 1.66 1.57
James 80 71 Decrease −9 233,224 86.46 15489.38 54.45 38.09 0.81 2.51 2.1 2.04
Reye 81 141 Increase 60 232,511 86.19 15575.57 5.26 0.75 6.02 0.3 0.76 86.9
Cruz 82 118 Increase 36 231,065 85.66 15661.22 5.95 0.83 5.61 0.38 0.99 86.24
Hughes 83 88 Increase 5 229,390 85.03 15746.26 80.6 15.45 0.39 0.52 1.46 1.58
Price 84 76 Decrease −8 228,756 84.8 15831.06 76.11 19.79 0.42 0.64 1.58 1.46
Myers 85 101 Increase 16 224,824 83.34 15914.4 86.59 9.75 0.38 0.53 1.35 1.4
Long 86 86 0 223,494 82.85 15997.25 82.35 11.75 1.78 1.21 1.44 1.47
Foster 87 93 Increase 6 221,040 81.94 16079.19 72 23.19 0.46 0.86 1.78 1.7
Sanders 88 75 Decrease −13 220,902 81.89 16161.07 63.44 31.9 0.33 0.85 1.73 1.76
Ross 89 80 Decrease −9 219,961 81.54 16242.61 71.46 23.67 0.46 0.89 1.69 1.82
Morales 90 136 Increase 46 217,642 80.68 16323.29 5.6 0.6 1.24 0.25 0.44 91.88
Powell 91 85 Decrease −6 216,553 80.28 16403.57 69.96 25.97 0.38 0.56 1.71 1.41
Sullivan 92 105 Increase 13 215,640 79.94 16483.5 89.45 6.78 0.46 0.52 1.16 1.63
Russell 93 97 Increase 4 215,432 79.86 16563.36 79.45 15.79 0.43 1 1.7 1.63
Ortiz 94 120 Increase 26 214683 79.58 16642.95 5.4 0.64 0.68 0.48 0.45 92.35
Jenkins 95 83 Decrease −12 213,737 79.23 16722.18 60.12 35.97 0.33 0.55 1.69 1.34
Gutierrez 96 202 Increase 106 212,905 78.92 16801.1 5.21 0.25 1.4 0.33 0.42 92.39
Perry 97 84 Decrease −13 212,644 78.83 16879.93 70.71 24.37 0.46 0.82 1.86 1.78
Butler 98 91 Decrease −7 210,879 78.17 16958.1 64.75 30.85 0.35 0.81 1.75 1.5
Barnes 99 79 Decrease −20 210,426 78 17036.1 67.45 28.23 0.4 0.72 1.71 1.49
Fisher 100 113 Increase 13 210,279 77.95 17114.05 84.59 11.28 0.42 0.71 1.42 1.58

The distribution reflects the history of immigration into the country. Many immigrants from non-English-speaking countries Anglicized their names. Good examples of this are the popular Swedish name Johansson which was frequently changed to Johnson, and the German Müller which became Miller. Some very common Swedish names were so similar that only a minor change of spelling was necessary, such as Andersson and Jonsson, which is why these names are much more common in the U.S. than in the United Kingdom. Names such as Williams, Jackson, Robinson, Harris, Davis, Brown and Jones are common among African Americans.

Garcia and Martinez represent the rapid growth of several Hispanic communities in the United States. According the above table, from the 2000 Census, 17.11% of Americans have a surname among the top 100. On the other hand, 13.97% of Americans have a surname which occurs fewer than 100 times in the entire population.