150 Common Canadian Last Names Or Surnames, With Meanings

Have you ever thought approximately your final title? Where did it come from? What does it cruel? In Canada, our final names are like a enormous, colorful astound. They come from each corner of the world. They tell us calm stories almost our families from long prior. Perhaps it was a work somebody did. Or a put they lived. Or indeed a epithet they had. This direct is all around those stories. We will see at 150 common canadian last names. We will learn their basic implications. We need this to be simple and fun to studied. So, let's bounce in and find the history stowing away in our names!

The Story Behind Our Surnames

Last names are not fair words. They are family history. Long back, individuals as it were had one title. But as towns got greater, that got befuddling. As well numerous individuals named John or Mary! So, they included a moment title. This got to be our final title, or surname.

These names came from four huge ideas:

Jobs: Like Smith (a metal specialist) or Dough puncher (a bread maker).
Fathers: Like Johnson (child of John) or MacDonald (child of Donald).
Places: Like Slope (from a slope) or York (from the city of York).
Nicknames: Like Youthful (for a more youthful individual) or Armstrong (for somebody strong).

When individuals moved to Canada, they brought these names with them. They came from Britain, France, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, China, India, and numerous more places. In Canada, all these names blended together. They got to be portion of our country's story. Your final title is a little piece of that huge, inviting story.

Very Common Last Names from England and Ireland

Many of the most listened final names in Canada have English or Irish roots. These names are all over! They regularly came with early settlers.

Smith

This is the most common final title in Canada. It is exceptionally ancient. A "smith" was a individual who worked with metal. They made horseshoes, instruments, and weapons. It was a exceptionally imperative work. Each town required a smith.

Brown

This title likely begun as a epithet. It likely depicted a individual. Perhaps they had brown hair. Or perhaps they frequently wore brown dress. Over time, it got to be their family name.

Wilson

This is a "child of" title. It implies "child of Will." Will is a brief shape of William. So, the to begin with Wilson was the child of a man named William.

Taylor

This was another vital work. A taylor (presently spelled tailor) made dress. They would cut and sew texture to fit individuals perfectly.

Clark

Long back, a clark (or receptionist) was more often than not the as it were individual in town who might perused and type in. They worked for the church or a ruler, keeping records and composing letters.

Other common names from England and Ireland include:

Jones: Meaning "child of John." John was a exceptionally prevalent to begin with name.
Williams: Meaning "child of William."
Johnson: Meaning "child of John."
Moore: For somebody who lived close a field, which is a wide, open range of unpleasant land.
Murphy: A exceptionally common Irish title. It implies "ocean warrior."

Ryan: An Irish title meaning "small king."

Kelly: An Irish title that might cruel "bright-headed" or "warrior."
Lee: An English title for somebody who lived close a glade or a clearing in the woods.
Martin: From the Roman god Damages, or now and then meaning "warlike."
White: A epithet for somebody with exceptionally light hair or a pale face.
Harris: Meaning "child of Harry." Harry is a frame of Henry.
Allen: Might cruel "small shake" or "good looking" from ancient languages.
King: Seem be a moniker for somebody who acted like a lord, or who worked for a king.
Wright: A work title for a expert or builder, frequently a cartwright or wheelwright.

Scott: For a individual from Scotland.

Young: A basic moniker for the more youthful of two individuals with the same title in a town.
Green: For somebody who lived close the town green, or who frequently wore green.
Baker: The individual who prepared bread for the village.
Cooper: The individual who made barrels and buckets.
Miller: The individual who ran the process, where grain was ground into flour.

Davis: Meaning "child of David."

Evans: Meaning "child of Evan." Evan is the Welsh frame of John.
Thomas: Meaning "twin."
Roberts: Meaning "child of Robert."
Walker: A work for somebody who "strolled" on damp cloth to clean and thicken it. This was portion of making wool.
Robinson: Meaning "child of Robin." Robin is a epithet for Robert.
Lewis: From an ancient title meaning "celebrated warrior."
Edwards: Meaning "child of Edward."
Cook: The individual who cooked nourishment, regularly for a enormous house or castle.

Popular Last Names from French Canada

Canada has profound French roots, particularly in Quebec. French names are a huge portion of our history.

Tremblay

This is one of the most common names in Quebec. It is a put title. It implies "from the put of aspen trees." Aspens are trees with takes off that tremble in the wind.

Gagnon

This title likely came from an ancient word, "gagnon," which implied a protect canine. So, the to begin with Gagnon might have been a extreme protector.

Roy

This title implies "lord." It was likely a moniker. Perhaps the individual acted like a ruler, or worked for the ruler. It is not the same as the English title "Roy," which implies "red-haired."

Côté

This is a French put title. It implies "from the side of a slope" or "from the coast." It tells us where the family's domestic was.

Leblanc

This implies "the white." The "Le" implies "the." It was a epithet for somebody with white hair, a pale confront, or who wore white clothes.

More common French-Canadian surnames:

Gauthier: From an ancient German title meaning "armed force ruler."
Morin: May cruel "dark-skinned" or "Moorish."
Lavoie: Implies "the street" or "the way." The family lived by a fundamental road.
Fortin: Implies "solid" or "from the fort."
Gagné: Implies "to win" or "to win." Possibly the to begin with individual was exceptionally successful.
Bélanger: From a German title meaning "reasonable outrage" or "wonderful spear."
Ouellet: A frame of the title "Ouël," which might come from an ancient word for "wolf."
Pelletier: A work title for a hide dealer or a individual who arranged creature pelts (skins).
Bouchard: From an ancient German title meaning "solid fortress."
Bergeron: Implies "shepherd" or "one from the mountains."
Caron: Might cruel "cart" or "chariot," or be a put name.
Boivin: Implies "drink wine." Possibly an predecessor cherished wine, or sold it.
Simard: From an ancient German title meaning "triumph" and "brave."
Paré: Implies "to get ready" or "prepared." Seem be a moniker for a arranged person.
Girard: From an ancient German title meaning "solid spear."
Dubois: Implies "of the wood" or "from the woods." The family lived close a forest.
Lefebvre: A work title for a smith (like the English Smith). "Febvre" is an ancient word for smith.
Mercier: A work title for a shipper who sold textures and clothes.
Desjardins: Implies "of the gardens." The family lived close or worked in gardens.
Hebert: From an ancient German title meaning "shinning army."
Michaud: A French frame of Michael, meaning "who is like God?"
Dufresne: Implies "of the cinder tree." The family lived close an fiery remains tree.

Marchand: A work title for a vendor or trader.

Denis: From the Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine.
Cloutier: A work title for a nail maker.
Lapointe: Implies "the point." The family lived at a pointed piece of land.
Poitras: Might be a put title from a town in France.

Familiar Last Names from Scotland

Scottish individuals have been coming to Canada for hundreds of a long time. Their solid final names are listened over the country.

MacDonald / McDonald

"Mac" or "Mc" implies "child of." So, MacDonald implies "child of Donald." Donald is a Gaelic title meaning "world ruler." This is one of the most popular Scottish clans.

Campbell

This Scottish title comes from Gaelic words meaning "slanted mouth." It was likely a epithet for an predecessor. It got to be the title of a exceptionally effective clan.

Scott

A straightforward title for a individual who came from Scotland. It made a difference tell them separated from individuals from Britain or Ireland.

Murray

This is a put title from an range in Scotland called Moray. It implies "settlement by the sea."

Stewart / Stuart

This was a work title, but a exceptionally imperative one! A steward was the individual who overseen a huge family or arrive for a lord or master. The illustrious family of Scotland had this name.

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More common Scottish surnames in Canada:

Cameron: Might cruel "screwy nose" from Gaelic. Another popular clan name.
MacKenzie: Implies "child of Coinneach." Coinneach implies "good looking" or "reasonable one."
MacLeod: Implies "child of Leod." Leod is an ancient Norse name.
Grant: From a French word meaning "tall" or "large."
Ross: A put title for somebody from a locale in Scotland called Ross. It implies "headland" or "promontory."
Graham: From an English put title meaning "gravelly homestead."
Sinclair: From a French put title, "Saint-Clair."
Johnston: Implies "John's town." The family was from a put possessed by a John.
Duncan: A Gaelic title meaning "dull warrior."
Fraser: Its meaning is hazy but might be connected to the French word for strawberry ("fraise").
Douglas: From a Gaelic state meaning "dull water" or "dim stream."
Hamilton: An English put title meaning "warped slope." It got to be a effective Scottish name.
Kerr: Implies "from the bog" or "damp ground."
Bell: Seem be a moniker for a nice looking individual, or from the French "bel."
Davidson: Implies "child of David."
Russell: Implies "small ruddy one," for a individual with ruddy hair.
Watson: Implies "child of Wat." Wat is a brief shape of Walter.
Mackay: Implies "child of Aodh." Aodh implies "fire."
Bruce: From a put in France called Brix. A popular lord of Scotland was Robert the Bruce.
Gordon: A put title from a town in Scotland.
Ferguson: Implies "child of Fergus." Fergus implies "man of force."
Mclean: Implies "child of Gillean." Gillean implies "worker of [Holy person] John."
Wallace: Implies "nonnative" or "Welshman" in Ancient English. William Wallace was a Scottish legend.

Well-Known Last Names with German Origins

Numerous German-speaking individuals moved to Canada. They came for arrive and a unused life. Their names are common, particularly in a few provinces.

Schmidt

This is the German word for "smith." It implies the same thing as the English title Smith: a metal laborer. It is exceptionally common in Germany and among German-Canadians.

Schneider

This is the German word for "tailor." It implies the same as the English title Taylor. It was the individual who made and settled clothes.

Müller

This is the German word for "mill operator." The mill operator ran the grain process, a exceptionally imperative work in each cultivating community.

Weber

This is a German work title. It implies "weaver." The weaver made cloth on a enormous loom.

Becker

This is the German word for "dough puncher." The dough puncher made the bread and other heated products for the village.

Other German surnames found in Canada:

Hoffman: Implies "cultivate man" or "steward." The individual overseen a farm.

Fischer: Implies "fisherman."
Wagner: Implies "wagon creator" or "cartwright."
Klein: Implies "little." A epithet for a littler person.
Schäfer: Implies "shepherd."
Richter: Implies "judge."
Schulz: Implies "chairman" or "town headman."
Keller: Implies "cellar ace." The individual in charge of the nourishment and drink in a cellar.
Bauer: Implies "farmer."
Lange: Implies "long" or "tall." A epithet for a tall person.
Krause: Implies "wavy." A moniker for somebody with wavy hair.
Braun: The German word for "brown."
Hermann: From an ancient title meaning "armed force man."
König: Implies "ruler." Like the title Roy in French.
Walter: From an ancient German title meaning "armed force ruler."
Peters: Implies "child of Peter."
Zimmermann: Implies "carpenter." A builder who worked with wood.
Krüger: Implies "owner" or "potter."
Wolf: A epithet, maybe for a furious or intelligent person.
Schafer: Another spelling of Schäfer, meaning "shepherd."
Schroeder: Implies "tailor" in a few districts of Germany.
Neumann: Implies "modern man." Maybe a newcomer to a town.
Schwarz: Implies "dark." For somebody with dark hair or dull clothes.
Huber: A title for a agriculturist who claimed a certain sum of land.
Frank: May cruel a individual from the Frankish tribe, or "free man."
Meyer: Implies "cultivate supervisor" or "steward," comparative to Hoffman.

Common Last Names from Other Great Cultures

Canada is a blend of the entire world. Here are a few exceptionally common names from other critical societies in Canada.

Italian Final Names

Rossi: The most common Italian title. It implies "ruddy," for somebody with ruddy hair or a rosy face.
Marino: Implies "of the ocean" or "sailor."
Gallo: Implies "chicken." May be a epithet for a pleased or uproarious person.
Conti: Implies "number." Maybe the family served a number, or it was a nickname.
Ricci: Implies "wavy." For somebody with wavy hair.

Chinese Final Names

Li / Lee: A exceptionally common Chinese surname. It can cruel "plum" or allude to an ancient administering family.
Wang: Implies "ruler" or "monarch."
Zhang: Can cruel "extend a bow" or "toxophilite." One of the most common names in the world.
Liu: Can cruel "murder" or "crush," but too alludes to an antiquated put and was a regal name.
Chen: Implies "to clarify" or "to state." Too an ancient state name.

Indian Final Names

Patel: A exceptionally common Indian surname, particularly from Gujarat. It regularly implied a town pioneer or arrive owner.
Singh: Implies "lion." Utilized broadly, particularly in the Sikh community. It symbolizes courage.
Kaur: Implies "princess." Utilized broadly by Sikh women.
Sharma: A title utilized by Brahmins (consecrated lesson). It implies "consolation," "delight," or "shelter."
Kumar: Implies "boy," "child," or "prince."

Ukrainian Final Names

Koval: Implies "smith." Fair like Smith, Schmidt, and Lefebvre!
Melnyk: Implies "mill operator." Fair like Mill operator and Müller.
Bondar: Implies "cooper" (barrel creator). Fair like the English Cooper.

Polish Final Names

Kowalski: One of the most common Clean names. It implies "from Kowal," and "kowal" implies "smith."
Nowak: Implies "modern man" or "newcomer." Like the German Neumann.
Winiewski: Implies "from the put of cherry trees."

Dutch Final Names

de Jong: Implies "the youthful." Like the English title Young.
Bakker: Implies "dough puncher." Like Pastry specialist and Becker.
Visser: Implies "angler." Like Fischer.

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Jewish Final Names

Cohen: From the Hebrew for "cleric." A sacred title from the Jewish consecrated class.
Levi: From the Hebrew tribe of Levi, who made a difference in the Temple.
Goldberg: Implies "gold mountain." Seem be a cheerful or canadian last names.
Rosenberg: Implies "rose mountain."
Kaplan: Implies "chaplain" or "cleric" in a few languages.

Common Names from Numerous Places

Andersen / Anderson: Scandinavian title meaning "child of Anders." Anders is a shape of Andrew.
Garcia: A exceptionally common Spanish title. Its meaning is hazy but might be related to "bear."
Silva: A Portuguese and Spanish title meaning "woodland" or "woods." Like the French Dubois.
Martinez: A Spanish title meaning "child of Martin."
Mohammed: A exceptionally common Muslim title, meaning "lauded." It comes from the title of the Prophet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is the most common last name in Canada?

A: The final title Smith is frequently said to be the number one. It comes from Britain and implies "metal laborer." Names like Brown, Wilson, and Tremblay are moreover at the best of the lists.

How can I find the meaning of my last name?

It's fun to see! You can utilize infant title websites or family history destinations. Fair sort "what does the final title [your title] cruel" into a look motor. Keep in mind, numerous names have more than one conceivable story. Yours might have a cool history.

Why do some last names start with 'Mac,' 'Mc,' or 'O'?

The "Mac" or "Mc" is Scottish or Irish and implies "child of." So, MacDonald is "child of Donald." The "O'" is Irish and implies "grandson of" or "relative of." So, O'Brien implies "grandson/descendant of Brian."

Conclusion

Our final names are straightforward blessings from our families. They interface us to individuals we never met, from places we may have never seen. In Canada, all these names from all over the world live side-by-side. They appear our history. They appear that Canada is built by individuals from all over. The following time you listen a final title, think around its story. It might be around a work, a put, or a individual from long, long back. Your title is a portion of your possess extraordinary story.

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