Top 13 Least Common Last Names In the U.S
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Surname is added at the end of the first name also known as given name. Most of the time, a family name is used as a surname. It's easy to name the most common last names or surnames in the US but can you list out the least common last names?
Only dozens of people in the US own these last names. Read on to know their meanings, why they are rare and more.
Top 13 Rarest Last Names In The US
1. Guillebeaux
Number of Individuals with last name: 110
Origin: France
Meaning: First part of name means will/desire and second part means bright.
The surname Guillebeaux was first found in Poitou where they held a family seat in the Seigneurie of Guilbault, which was originally spelled Guillebeau. The Seigneurie originated in 1456, taking its name from the noble family in that district.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Guilbaud, Guilbault, Guillebault, Guilbeault, Guilbot, Guillebeau, Guilbeaux, Guilbeau, Guillebot, De Guilbault and many more.
| Migration of the Guillebeaux Family Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Charles Guilbaut who arrived in Quebec in 1646 from Perche in southern Normandy; Jean Guilbert arrived in Quebec in 1668 from Picardy to the east of Normandy. |
| Famous person with last name Guillebeaux Chris Guillebeau Given name: Chris Birth date: Tuesday, April 4, 1978 |
2. Mosheyev
Number of Individuals with Surname: 111
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: son of Moshe
Mosheyev is a Hebrew last name that is surprisingly most common in the U.S., although it is pretty rare overall. Outside of the U.S., about 89 Israelis have the surname Mosheyev. Alternate spellings of the name Mosheyev also appear in Uzbekistan. In Hebrew, Mosheyev means son of Moshe (aka Moses).
Individuals with the last name Mosheyev in the United States either live in New York, Pennsylvania, or Florida.
READ MORE: 11 Hottest Baby Name Trends In 2023
| What is the longest last name? A June 24,1964 Associated Press story introduced a man who claimed to have the longest last name in the United States — 666 letters, plus 26 given names. Hubert B. Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff, 47, a Philadelphia resident of German descent, used only the first 35 letters of his last name in signing documents. |
3. Banasiewicz
Number of Individuals with Surname: 109
Origin: Poland
Meaning: from peasant form of Benedykt – Banaś
The last name Banasiewicz is borne by more people in Poland than any other country/territory. It may also be rendered as a variant.
In The United States Banasiewicz are 11.56% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 58.33% being registered to vote for the party.
Banasiewicz earn significantly more than the average income. In United States they earn 28.7% more than the national average, earning $55,531 USD per year.
Why are some last names rare?There are a number of reasons why you might have a rare surname. Names linked to niche professions that no longer exist, migration, colloquialisms and even entire families being wiped out during war could contribute to your family name being less common than others. Then again, it could simply be destiny. For instance, if a man with your name only fathered daughters generations ago, their surname most likely ended with them. |
4. Atonal
Number of Individuals with Surname: 40
Origin: Unknown for sure, but most likely Mexico
Meaning: Unknown
Atonal, like all of the names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. A majority, 71.43%, of the Atonals in the United States are registered with the Democratic Party, making Atonals 18.2% more likely to be registered with the Democrat Party than the national average.
5. Ragsdill
Number of Individuals with Surname: 124
Origin: Unknown for sure, possibly England
Meaning: Unknown
In The United States those bearing the Ragsdill surname are 16.39% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 63.16% being registered to vote for the party.
Ragsdill earn around the same as the average income. In United States they earn 0.65% more than the national average, earning $43,431 USD per year.
List of Weird Last Names in the USDrinkwater Daft Willy Piggs Clutterbuck Jelly Nutters Hardmeat Hogwood Hole Cooke Connor Bone Downs Holcomb Badden |
6. Holmes
Meaning: Holmes is a geographical or topographical surname from the northern Middle English holm, meaning "island," often bestowed on an individual who lived on an island, or a piece of low-lying meadow lands near or surrounded by water.
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the holm,' from residence upon a holm, an islet in, or a flat land beside, a river. The word as a place name is common all over England. In my old parish (Ulverston, North Lancashire) is an Appletree-holm in the river Crake.
| Alternate Surname Spellings: HOLME, HUME, HOME, HOLM, HOLMS, HOMES, HOOME, HOOMES, HULME |
Famous People with the Surname HOLMES• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. - American Civil War veteran and U.S. Supreme Court Justice • Santonio Holmes - American NFL football player • Kate Noelle "Katie" Holmes - American actress and model • Edwin Holmes - American inventor of the burglar alarm • Matthew Holmes - chief mechanical engineer of the North British Railway |
7. Butler
Frequency of this surname around the world
United States 283,101 - 1:1,280
England 58,594 - 1:951
Australia 26,467 - 1:1,020
Canada 16,459 - 1:2,239
Origin: France
Meaning: an English occupational name that originally denoted a servant in charge of the wine cellar, from the Norman French word butuiller. It eventually came to be used to describe a servant of high responsibility in a noble household, mostly leaving behind its association with the supply of wine.
The Butler surname came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century, led by the forces of Strongbow. The surname came from a common occupational name for a wine steward or the chief servant of a medieval household. In royal households, the title denoted a high-ranking officer whose duties as a wine steward were merely nominal. Occupational surnames, such as Butler were much quite common to the Anglo-Norman culture, and virtually unknown in Gaelic Irish. The prefix le, meaning the, in French was often used by the early Strongbownians to link a person's first and name and surname. Eventually these prefixes were dropped or became fused onto the beginning of the surname. The surname Butler is derived from Anglo-French "butuiller," which comes from the Old French word "bouteillier." These words are ultimately derived from the Latin words "buticularius," and "buticula," which mean "bottle." The Gaelic form of the surname Butler is de Buitléir.
Who Is The Most Famous Butler In The World?1. John Charles Wiltshire-Butler (born 1 April 1975), professionally known as John Butler, is an American-born Australian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is the front man for the John Butler Trio, a roots and jam band, that formed in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1998. The John Butler Trio has recorded five studio albums including three that have reached number one on the Australian charts: Sunrise Over Sea, Grand National and April Uprising. His recordings and live performances have met with critical praise and have garnered awards from the Australian Performing Right Association and Australian Recording Industry Association. Butler was born in the United States and moved to Australia at an early age. He began playing the guitar at the age of sixteen. In 2002, Butler, along with several partners, formed their own record label. He is also the co-founder of a grant program that seeks to improve artistic diversity in his home country, Australia, where he resides with his wife and children. 2. Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949) is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heaven & Hell, GZR, and Ozzy Osbourne. He currently serves as bassist of Deadland Ritual. 3. Dean Butler (born May 20, 1956) is a Canadian-American movie and television actor and producer of entertainment, sports and documentary programming. 4. Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an African-American science fiction author. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, she became in 1995 the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.Butler was born in Pasadena, California. After her father died, she was raised by her widowed mother. Extremely shy as a child, Octavia found an outlet at the library reading fantasy, and in writing. She began writing science fiction as a teenager. She attended community college during the Black Power movement, and while participating in a local writer's workshop was encouraged to attend the Clarion Workshop, which focused on science fiction. |
8. McNairy
Origin: United States
Meaning: The name McNairy is derived from the personal name John. The Gaelic form of their name was originally Mac-Iain-uidhir, which means son of dun John. However, the McNairy family of Perth traditionally derive their name from M'an-oighre, which means son of the heir.
McNairy is used as a family name or surname in United States languages. McNairy has 7 characters long in length. McNairy is a very rare surname, few people in United States have the family name and might be arised from United States. Around 783 people have been found who wears McNairy as their family name. Few people around the world have McNairy as their surname.
9. Krul
Origin: Dutch
Approximately 55 people bear this surname. The surname Krul was first found in Prussia where the family made a considerable contribution to the feudal society which shaped modern Europe. The family branched into several houses, all of which played an important role in the local political conflicts which forged the nation.
10. Bombardo
Number of Individuals with Surname: 155
Origin: Spain or Italy
Meaning: a type of instrument
Bombardo is another rare last name in the United States that could possibly have multiple origins. The last name could either be Spanish or Italian in origin. Currently, Bombardo is more prevalent in Spain, followed by the U.S. and then Italy.
The Italian meaning of Bombardo is related to a class of woodwind instruments known as a pommer of bombard in English. In Spanish, Bombardo could come from bombardon, which is a type of bass tuba. No matter the exact origin, the last name Bombardo appears to come from some type of instrument.
11. Panchak
Number of Individuals with Surname: 121
Origin: Lemko (ethnic group/dialect from Ukraine, Poland, and Slovakia); Hindu
Meaning: Unknown in Lemko; inauspicious group of five in Hindu
Panchak is an interesting uncommon last name that appears to have two different origins. From our research, it appears that the Panchaks in the United States are most likely descended from Panchaks of Eastern European origin. According to one source, Panchak could come from the Lemko ethnic group that originates from the Carpathian Mountains and Foothills spanning Ukraine, Slovakia, and Poland. This could be supported by the fact that the largest concentration of Panchaks occurs in Ukraine.
Besides the U.S. and Eastern Europe, individuals with the last name Panchak live in Thailand and India, where Hindu influence is prevalent. Panchak or Panchaka is last five days of the month of Kartika, a month on the Hindu calendar that usually falls between October and November. The period of Panchak is seen as an inauspicious time and people shouldn’t do important activities like travel, get married, give birth, activities involving fire, or governmental work.
12. Stawarski
Number of Individuals with Surname: 126
Origin: Poland
Meaning: Unknown
Although Stawarski is a pretty rare last name, it is easy to recognize that it originates from Poland. However, Stawarski also appears to be a very uncommon name in Poland and no concrete meaning for the last name could be found. It is possible that Stawarski could be related to the last name Stawarz, which means pond digger. Staw in Polish means “pond,” so last names with staw usually have something to do with ponds. Besides the U.S. and Poland, the last name Stawarski appears in Germany and Canada, with a few individuals scattered in other parts of the world.
13. Duckstein
Number of Individuals with Surname: 151
Origin: German
Meaning: Unknown
Duckstein is originally a German last name and there are currently about 151 Ducksteins in the United States. The surname most likely originated from the Lower Saxony region of German, which is where the name is most common in the country today. The meaning of the name Duckstein is currently unknown but it could be related to similar last names which mean “stout stone.” Duckstein may have also been a location in Germany in the past.
Other rare last names in the USAphelion (Greek origin) meaning “point of the orbit at the greatest distance from the sun”. Bartley (English origin) meaning “clearing in woodland”. Bixby (English origin) a surname indicating someone living in Bigby, Lincolnshire. Bobusic (Medieval Italy) meaning “battle”. Bonneville (French origin) meaning "good settlement”. Botkin (English origin) meaning “someone who sells weapons”. Brager (Norwegian origin) meaning “thundering or roaring”. Brubaker (German origin) meaning “someone living close to a brook”. Burris (Anglo Saxon origin) meaning “hill”. Butterworth (Anglo-Saxon origin) meaning “home of butter”. Caiazzo (Italian origin) meaning “from Caiazzo, Italy”. Chalut (Latin origin) meaning “beyond”. Drewitt (German origin) “phantom or ghost”. Hutton (English origin) meaning “settlement”. Kellett (Anglo-Saxon origin) meaning “a slope with a spring”. Lawless (English origin) meaning “outlaw”. A cool surname for a villain character. Merrick (English origin) meaning “fame rule”. Morais (Portuguese origin) meaning “mulberry trees”. Ogden (English origin) meaning “oak valley”. Sutcliffe (English origin) meaning “south of a cliff”. Tobin (Irish origin) related to people who originated from Aubyn in France. |
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