Do you have one of these rare last names in your family tree?

The first thing most people do when starting a family history project is to research their own surname. And, even though we may only learn a small part of our family’s past by doing so, it is always a fascinating undertaking. Our surname, whether it’s a rare name or a name you share with thousands of others, connects us to the generations that came before and it can be a lot of fun to know where it originated.

If you’re lucky enough to have an unusual last name, it can make researching yours past a little easier (or harder, depending on who you ask). After all, there were certainly more women named “Mary Brown” than “Mary Neidherges” in older records. But even if your last name is common, you’re lucky enough to have some rare gems in your family tree. If you’ve been doing research for a while, you know what they are.

Curious about how rare your surname is? If so, many of you have probably used Ancestry’s fun tool to see how the distribution of various last names has changed throughout American history (with data available between 1840 and 1920), But did you know that the US Census Bureau provides more recent information on surname usage?

The bureau tracks the frequency of surnames reported by Americans every ten years, and compiles census surname tables for 1990, 2000, and 2010 census returns. You can download the latest data, a spreadsheet of surnames, and the exact number of claimants, right here.

Interestingly, the five most common American last names as of 2010 (data from the 2020 census is not yet available) haven’t changed that much over time and are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. But the bureau also compiled a list of the fastest-growing surnames in the United States, and they include Zhang, Li, Ali, Liu, and Khan — a testament to our nation’s amazing diversity.

According to Bureau statistics, there were about 6.3 million different surnames in the United States in 2010. And unfortunately, they don’t share the rarest of these names (those that belong to fewer than 100 people), they share those last. Let’s share the name with only 100 entries. So we can’t know for sure what the rarest last name is, but we can get close.

The list below is a selection of these unusual last names, of which there are a little over 1200. To see them all you’ll need to download the full list here and scroll down to find out the nicknames held by the fewest people. Us.

Here List: of Russian surnames

Based on the 2010 Census, here are 100 of the most common last names in the United States

Best Rare Last Names 2024

1. Ashbourne – Meaning “burning ash”
2. Blackthorn – Refers to a type of thorny shrub
3. Crestwood – A wooded area with a prominent crest
4. Duskfield – Twilight or evening field
5. Emberley – Derived from “ember,” meaning a small piece of burning coal
6. Falconridge – A high ridge where falcons might dwell
7. Frostvale – A valley known for its frosty climate
8. Galewood – A forest with strong winds
9. Hawksworth – A settlement where hawks are abundant
10. Icebourne – A place characterized by icy conditions
11. Jadelake – A lake with jade-colored waters
12. Kestrelhaven – A safe haven for kestrels
13. Larkspire – A tall structure where larks might perch
14. Moonshadow – The shadow cast by the moon
15. Nightshade – A poisonous plant associated with darkness
16. Oakheart – A strong and sturdy heart, like an oak tree
17. Peregrin – From the Latin word “peregrinus,” meaning traveler or pilgrim
18. Quillen – A surname with associations to writing or scribing
19. Rainfield – A field often blessed with rain
20. Stormcrest – The highest point during a storm
21. Thornebrooke – A brook surrounded by thorny vegetation
22. Uplandia – Refers to elevated or highland areas
23. Valewood – A wooded valley
24. Windmere – A pleasant place with a gentle wind
25. Xanther – A unique and mysterious-sounding name
26. Yarrowfield – A field where yarrow plants grow
27. Zephyrson – The son of the west wind (Zephyr)
28. Astralyn – A celestial or starry surname
29. Bramblewood – A forest with thorny undergrowth
30. Celestria – Derived from “celestial,” meaning heavenly
31. Driftwood – Wood floating in the water or washed ashore
32. Everglen – A perpetually green and lush glen
33. Fairhaven – A beautiful and welcoming haven
34. Glimmerstone – A stone that glimmers or shines
35. Halloway – A sacred or holy path or road
36. Ironhart – A surname reflecting strength and resilience
37. Juniperhill – A hill covered with juniper trees
38. Kindlebrook – A brook where fires are lit or kindled
39. Loomis – Meaning “luminary” or a source of light
40. Mistbourne – A place often covered in mist
41. Nighthaven – A peaceful haven during the night
42. Oakenfold – A fold or enclosed area with oak trees
43. Pendleton – A settlement near a hill or mound
44. Quicksilver – A reference to the liquid metal mercury
45. Rivenstone – A stone that appears split or divided
46. Seraphine – Derived from “seraph,” a type of angel
47. Thistledown – The downy material attached to thistle seeds
48. Umbermere – A dark or shadowy lake
49. Verdantwood – A lush and green woodland
50. Wilderose – A wild or untamed rose
51. Xenophon – A unique and ancient-sounding name
52. Yesteryear – A surname evoking a sense of the past
53. Zephyrina – Feminine form of Zephyr, the west wind
54. Avalonheart – A heart associated with the mythical island of Avalon
55. Bellamoor – Beautiful moorland or open country
56. Crescentmoon – Shaped like a crescent moon
57. Drakewood – A forest with associations to dragons
58. Echowind – Wind that echoes or resonates
59. Falconheart – A heart as bold and fierce as a falcon
60. Gossamer – Delicate or light, like a gossamer thread
61. Hearthstone – A stone used for a hearth or fireplace
62. Illusionary – Creating illusions or deceptive appearances
63. Jesterwood – A place associated with jesters or humor
64. Kithrill – A combination of “kith” (friends) and “thrill”
65. Lunadale – A dale or valley under the influence of the moon
66. Mysticgrove – A mysterious and magical grove of trees
67. Nightshade – A poisonous plant associated with darkness (repeated for variety)
68. Opaline – Resembling or having qualities of opal
69. Pyrocrest – A crest or peak associated with fire
70. Quasar – A powerful and energetic astronomical object
71. Rhapsody – A surname with musical or poetic connotations
72. Starglow – Glowing like the stars in the night sky
73. Tidewalker – One who walks along the tide or shoreline
74. Umbralight – A light that exists in shadows or darkness
75. Vellichor – The strange wistfulness of used bookstores
76. Winterbourne – A stream that flows in the winter
77. Xylograph – A surname associated with wood engraving
78. Yggdrasil – The mythical world tree in Norse mythology
79. Zenithcrest – The highest point or culmination
80. Aetherstorm – A storm associated with the upper atmosphere
81. Berylline – Resembling or related to the mineral beryl
82. Cipher – A secret or mysterious code
83. Dusktreader – One who walks or reads during dusk
84. Ecliptic – A path associated with eclipses or celestial events
85. Feywood – A woodland inhabited by mythical creatures (fey)
86. Gleamingstone – A stone that gleams or shines brightly
87. Hyacinth – A flowering plant associated with rebirth
88. Ivorymoon – A moon that appears ivory or pale
89. Jovian – Pertaining to Jupiter or Jove in Roman mythology
90. Kindleflame – A flame that is easily kindled or ignited
91. Luminara – A luminous or radiant surname
92. Moonshiver – A shiver or tremor associated with the moon
93. Nebulon – A celestial or cosmic-themed surname
94. Orpheus – Named after the legendary musician in Greek mythology
95. Polaris – The North Star, often used for navigation
96. Quellion – A surname suggesting the calming or quelling of something
97. Radiantorchid – A vibrant and radiant shade of orchid color
98. Solstice – A point in time when the sun is at its highest or lowest
99. Thunderforge – A forge or crafting place associated with thunder
100. Zirconia – Resembling or related to the gemstone zircon

Interested in researching your surname or your family tree?

Researching the origins of last names in your family tree can be a fascinating journey and well worth the effort. We suggest sharing what you can about your family’s past first to clear up the confusion and help you get started.

It’s easy to guess what your family name might reveal about your ancestry if you’re not careful. Know that a name, no matter how rare, can have many origins. Make sure you take the time to research the line (often paternal in the US, but not always) that provides you with your surname. See where this family line takes you before you make a judgment about what it might mean.

How can I search a family tree with rare last names?

Researching a family tree that includes rare last names should be done in the same way as any other tree. You will want to start by interviewing family members for details about recent individuals (parents, grandparents, etc.) and then enter this information into a concrete family tree program. Research each person carefully, adding as much factual data as you can to prove it (and always record your sources).

As you work backward in your tree, more and more information will become available through your own research and presentation of record suggestions (if using trees that provide them, help with See the article linked above about family tree programs for. Sometimes it only takes a few generations for you to see where a surname originated – other times you may have to research further back, especially if you have early American colonial ancestors.

Once you can trace the origins of your unusual last name, you’ll be able to do better research on the people who bear it and perhaps even find out why it was coined (many surnames originated in recent Is).

Learning that you only share your surname with a small group of people can be exciting and may help you uncover forgotten stories about your family. For more help building a family tree so you can get started with your research, read our Quick Guide to Building a Family Tree or consider taking an online course.

Here List: Unique last name

FAQ: rare last names in your family tree?