Mega Large image, sorry... but then it's a big country...

Not surprising, Smith is the leader, except in the border states, not surprising that CA leading names are all Hispanic,

El Linko

I was thinking about this a while back. I haven't actually met very many Smiths. I've met/known a lot of Johnsons but I can only think of a couple of Smiths. Thought it was... well not sure what I thought it was. Just a thought I guess

My grandmother married a Smith. I actually know no Johnsons or Smiths, though.

In my high school there were two girls both named Brittany Nicole Smith. I was friends with one of them.

I had a Brian Johnson as a room mate in college.

Boy, that Johnson gets around!

I wonder how many Smiths and Johnsons were originally immigrants from places other than England.

It was not uncommon for the mining companies in Northern MN to "assign" names to workers with Eastern European or Finnish names that were difficult to spell or pronounce.

I might have expected to see Jones more than I did.

I wasn't greatly surprised by the CA list.

I guess I'm relieved that there is one Anglo name on the list for Tejas.

I'm surprised Fisher isn't on there.

I had 3 unrelated Fishers in my wedding...2 were my groomsman, one was my wife.

Before I met my wife, who's last name is Fisher, I dated another girl, who's last name was also Fisher.

I also worked for a Fisher. And there's a Fisher's banquet hall down the street from where I used to live. None of these Fishers are related.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
I wonder how many Smiths and Johnsons were originally immigrants from places other than England.

It was not uncommon for the mining companies in Northern MN to "assign" names to workers with Eastern European or Finnish names that were difficult to spell or pronounce.

Yes, and I wonder how many Smiths and Millers were originally Schmidts and Muellers.

quote:

Originally posted by PorterN:
In my high school there were two girls both named Brittany Nicole Smith. I was friends with one of them.

I know/knew a Brittany Nicole Smith as well in the 90's in Falls Church, VA. She was originally from Idaho, DoB about 1980-1983. Blonde and very pretty, but solidly in the danger zone on the hot/crazy chart.

I think Brittany, Nicole (and Courtney) were very trendy names in the early 80's, ie. pre-Jennifer.

And the Smith's have it...

When I was in school (midwest, science & engineering centric), there were more people named Patel in the school phone book than named Smith. I was told that everyone in the Indian state of Patel had that surname. Sounds like a strange plan to me.

Seems that 'Johnson' was more than likely the guy at Ellis Island taking Johansson into English. Here in England it is not anywhere near as popular, percentage-wise, as it is in the USA.

Even I am Swedish, if you go back to the 9th Century. 'Foley' is the modern spelling of the Old Irish name 'Foghláda' - raider or plunderer.

tac

Hawaii was interesting. Seems to be a strongly Chinese domain.

I thought Boudreaux would be in there for Louisiana.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
When I was in school (midwest, science & engineering centric), there were more people named Patel in the school phone book than named Smith. I was told that everyone in the Indian state of Patel had that surname. Sounds like a strange plan to me.

There is no Indian State called Patel.

quote:

Originally posted by xl_target:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
When I was in school (midwest, science & engineering centric), there were more people named Patel in the school phone book than named Smith. I was told that everyone in the Indian state of Patel had that surname. Sounds like a strange plan to me.

There is no Indian State called Patel.

Thanks for the correction. From Wikipedia:

"Patel is an Indian surname/title representing a caste of village leaders. In the state of Gujarat, from the middle of the 1500s through the 1900s, the Patel of a village would be a member of the village committee. Patel is now also used as a surname among communities like Patidar, AghariaPatel, Leuva Patel (or Leva Patel), Kadva Patel, Matiya Patel, Gujjar Patel, Muslim Patel."