Our American name database contains 138.984 American surnames and 127.159 American first names categorized by gender and frequency. After payment you can download the American name database in CSV, SQL or JSON format. In United States we received a name and gender database from the American government and merged it with publicly available data sets. To create the American name database we used 4.775.359 validated American social media profiles. We have a detailed explanation of our methodology and illustrate our approach with several examples.

Popular American surnames

This table show popular American surnames. In the United States, a person's surname is typically passed down from their father or mother, and is considered a part of their legal name. It is often used for identification and for official documents such as passports and driver's licenses. Some people may choose to change their surname through marriage, divorce, or a legal name change process. Additionally, some individuals may have multiple surnames, such as a hyphenated name or a combination of their birth and married surnames.

Surname Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Smith 40.236 0.8% British Canadian Australian
Johnson 27.834 0.6% British Canadian Australian
Williams 24.168 0.5% British Canadian Australian
Jones 23.898 0.5% British Canadian Australian
Brown 21.834 0.5% British Canadian Australian
Miller 17.497 0.4% British Canadian Australian
Davis 15.806 0.3% British Canadian Australian
Taylor 13.192 0.3% British Canadian Australian
Wilson 13.187 0.3% British Canadian Australian
Anderson 12.756 0.3% British Canadian Australian
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 4.775.359 American social media profiles.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this surname also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

American first names

In the United States, parents typically pick a first name for their child based on personal preference and cultural or family tradition. Some parents may choose a name that has sentimental meaning to them or that is popular in the current culture. Others may choose a name that has been passed down through their family or that is associated with a specific religion or ethnicity. Ultimately, the decision on a first name is a personal one, and parents often spend a lot of time considering different options before making a final choice.

Popular American male names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Michael 50.350 1.8% British German Canadian
John 45.057 1.6% British Canadian Irish
David 44.352 1.6% British Spanish Canadian
Chris 41.645 1.5% British Canadian Australian
Mike 30.558 1.1% British Canadian Dutch
James 28.718 1.0% British Australian Canadian
Matt 26.741 1.0% British Canadian Australian
Mark 25.724 0.9% British Dutch Canadian
Ryan 25.705 0.9% British Canadian Australian
Brian 25.095 0.9% British Canadian Irish
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 4.775.359 American social media profiles from which 2.776.488 (58%) is male.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.

Popular American female names

First name Frequency*1 Percentage*1 Alternative countries*2
Sarah 19.946 1.0% British Canadian Australian
Jennifer 19.423 1.0% British Canadian German
Jessica 17.590 0.9% British Brazilian Canadian
Lisa 14.914 0.7% British Canadian German
Ashley 14.104 0.7% British Canadian Australian
Michelle 13.683 0.7% British Canadian Australian
Emily 13.494 0.7% British Canadian Australian
Amanda 13.272 0.7% British Brazilian Canadian
Laura 13.066 0.7% British Spanish Colombian
Amy 12.222 0.6% British Canadian Irish
  • *1 The Frequency and Percentage are based on 4.775.359 American social media profiles from which 1.998.871 (42%) is female.
  • *2 Alternative countries are countries where this first name also is used. They are sorted on popularity.