More than 42 million people in the United States have one of the 25 most common first names, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.The data released Tuesday was collected from the 2020 decennial census and includes both first and last names. The 2020 census data, however, is the first since 1990 to include first names in the data. The most common first name overall was Michael, according to the data, a predominantly male name. The next five most common names were also predominantly male. Mary, which is the seventh most common first name overall, was the first predominantly female name to show up at the top of the rankings. Search the table below to see how common first names were in the 2020 decennial census.Last namesThe data release also details how much has changed for the most common last names. Some of the most common last names remained highly ranked, like Smith, but other trends show a growing prevalence of last names with a population that is predominantly Hispanic or Latino.The five most common last names have stayed the same from 2000 to 2010 and now to 2020. Smith, Johnson and Williams have been the top three most common in that order from 1990 to the newly released 2020 data. Jones and Brown have also been in the top five for the past four decades of data, at ranks four and five in 1990, reversing spots from 2000 to 2020.All the names in the five most common last names were also some of the most common names in the first census in 1790.There are only 310 last names that have populations over 100,000 people, according to the data. Just 11 of those have populations over a million.The data on first and last names also breaks down the population of people with a given name by race and ethnicity.Trends over the past few decades show a rise in the frequency of last names that are predominantly Hispanic or Latino. The U.S. Census Bureau defines a last name as being “predominantly” a certain race or ethnicity when the majority of the people with the name identify with a single race or as Hispanic or Latino.For the 2000 census, three of the 15 most common last names were predominantly Hispanic or Latino. As of 2020, it’s six of the 15 most common last names.The last name Garcia is the most common predominantly Hispanic or Latino last name. It has risen from being the 18th most common last name in 1990 to the sixth most common — now two decades in a row in 2010 and 2020.Nine out of 10 of the fastest-growing last names among the 1,000 most common were predominantly Asian, according to the Census Bureau.Search the table below to see the 25,000 most common last names in the 2020 decennial census.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
More than 42 million people in the United States have one of the 25 most common first names, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The data released Tuesday was collected from the 2020 decennial census and includes both first and last names. The 2020 census data, however, is the first since 1990 to include first names in the data.
The most common first name overall was Michael, according to the data, a predominantly male name. The next five most common names were also predominantly male.
Mary, which is the seventh most common first name overall, was the first predominantly female name to show up at the top of the rankings.
Search the table below to see how common first names were in the 2020 decennial census.
Last names
The data release also details how much has changed for the most common last names.
Some of the most common last names remained highly ranked, like Smith, but other trends show a growing prevalence of last names with a population that is predominantly Hispanic or Latino.
The five most common last names have stayed the same from 2000 to 2010 and now to 2020. Smith, Johnson and Williams have been the top three most common in that order from 1990 to the newly released 2020 data.
Jones and Brown have also been in the top five for the past four decades of data, at ranks four and five in 1990, reversing spots from 2000 to 2020.
All the names in the five most common last names were also some of the most common names in the first census in 1790.
There are only 310 last names that have populations over 100,000 people, according to the data. Just 11 of those have populations over a million.
The data on first and last names also breaks down the population of people with a given name by race and ethnicity.
Trends over the past few decades show a rise in the frequency of last names that are predominantly Hispanic or Latino. The U.S. Census Bureau defines a last name as being “predominantly” a certain race or ethnicity when the majority of the people with the name identify with a single race or as Hispanic or Latino.
For the 2000 census, three of the 15 most common last names were predominantly Hispanic or Latino. As of 2020, it’s six of the 15 most common last names.
The last name Garcia is the most common predominantly Hispanic or Latino last name. It has risen from being the 18th most common last name in 1990 to the sixth most common — now two decades in a row in 2010 and 2020.
Nine out of 10 of the fastest-growing last names among the 1,000 most common were predominantly Asian, according to the Census Bureau.
Search the table below to see the 25,000 most common last names in the 2020 decennial census.
