We Now Know the Most Common Last Names in Minnesota

Almost everybody in Minnesota has a last name, but not all of them are all that common. Or common at all, mind you. But we now know just which surnames ARE the most common here in the North Star State.

When it comes to last names, there are a lot of them out there. In fact, the United States Census Bureau says that there are currently around 150,000 last names across the country. And here in Minnesota, it's not surprising that many of them are based on our German and Scandinavian heritage. But do you have one of the most popular last names in the Land of 10,000 Lakes?

Well, the gang over at Ancestry.com compiled a fairly massive database of all the last names (or, surnames, really-- but I always say last name because I'm never sure if a surname is a first or last name) both here in Minnesota and across the country.

READ MORE: These Once-Popular Names Are in Danger of Going Extinct in MN

And, no surprise, the most popular last name here in the Gopher State is... Johnson! Which surprises me a little bit. Where are the Olsons or Swensons or Larsons? All of those Norwegian-based surnames seem to be fairly common here, but the results say it's still Johnson that's the most common.

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Following the Johnsons in popularity here in the Bold North are the Andersons with the second-most popular last name. And, shout-out to the Nelsons, who nabbed the third-most-popular last name here in the North Star State, according to Ancestry.com.

MINNESOTA'S MOST COMMON LAST NAMES

Johnson
Anderson
Nelson

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And, cue the sad trombone sound effect: 'St. John' didn't even make the list, either here or over in my home state of Wisconsin. Rats. Here are the Most Common Last Names over in America's Dairyland:

WISCONSIN'S MOST COMMON LAST NAMES

Johnson
Smith
Anderson

Curious where your last name ranks? Check out the expanded list HERE. And speaking of Most Popular Things, did you know over half of all families here in Minnesota own a pet? Keep scrolling to check out the Most Popular Dog Breeds in America!