Sometimes it’s not so good to be on top—for example, when you’re researching a line that shares a surname with, it seems, half the US population. These are the 10 most common US last names, according to the 2000 census.
Got a common name? See our common-surname research tips for advice.

1. Smith: 2,376,206
2. Johnson: 1,857,160
3. Williams: 1,534,042
4. Brown: 1,380,145
5. Jones: 1,362,755
6. Miller: 1,127,803
7. Davis: 1,072,335
8. Garcia: 858,289
9. Rodriguez: 804,240