Canada is a beautiful mosaic of cultures, histories, and languages, and its surnames reflect that diversity. Whether you’re researching your family tree, curious about the origins of common last names, or just love etymology, this list will guide you through some of the most popular Canadian surnames and their fascinating meanings.
To make it easier, we’ve grouped them into categories based on their origins: English & Scottish, French, Irish, Indigenous, German & Dutch, and Other Influences.
English & Scottish Surnames
Many Canadians have roots in England and Scotland, and these surnames often reflect occupations, locations, or family ties.
- Smith – The most common surname in Canada, meaning “metalworker” or “blacksmith.”
- Brown – Originally described someone with brown hair or complexion.
- Wilson – Means “son of Will” (a short form of William).
- Taylor – An occupational name for a tailor.
- Johnson – “Son of John.”
- Lee – Derived from Old English, meaning “meadow” or “clearing.”
- Clark – Originally denoted a clerk or scribe.
- Walker – Referred to someone who walked on raw cloth to thicken it (a textile worker).
- White – Described someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.
- Martin – Derived from the Latin name “Martinus,” meaning “of Mars” (the Roman god of war).
- Hall – Indicated someone who lived near or worked in a large house or manor.
- Young – Often given to the younger of two people with the same name.
- King – Could denote someone who worked for a king or had a regal demeanor.
- Scott – Originally referred to someone from Scotland.
- Green – Described someone who lived near a village green or had a connection to the color.
French Surnames
With Quebec’s strong French heritage, these surnames are deeply embedded in Canadian culture.
- Tremblay – Means “aspen tree” or “someone who lived near aspen trees.”
- Gagnon – Derived from “gagner,” meaning “to win” or “to earn.”
- Roy – Means “king” in French.
- Côté – Means “coast” or “side,” possibly indicating someone who lived by a riverbank.
- Bélanger – Originates from “bel ange,” meaning “beautiful angel.”
- Lavoie – Means “the way” or “the road.”
- Fortin – Derived from “fort,” meaning “strong.”
- Pelletier – An occupational name for a fur trader or someone who prepared pelts.
- Girard – A variant of “Gérard,” meaning “spear brave.”
- Morin – Derived from “Maurus,” meaning “dark-skinned” or “Moorish.”
- Lefebvre – Means “the blacksmith.”
- Gauthier – Derived from “Walter,” meaning “ruler of the army.”
- Dubois – Means “of the woods” or “from the forest.”
- Mercier – An occupational name for a merchant.
- Bergeron – Means “shepherd” or “someone from the mountains.”
Irish Surnames
Many Irish immigrants brought their surnames to Canada, especially during the 19th century.
- Murphy – The most common Irish surname, meaning “sea warrior.”
- O’Connor – Means “descendant of Conchobhar,” an ancient Irish name meaning “lover of hounds.”
- Kelly – Derived from “Ó Ceallaigh,” meaning “descendant of Ceallach” (warrior or bright-headed).
- Ryan – Means “little king” or “descendant of Rian.”
- Sullivan – From “Ó Súilleabháin,” meaning “descendant of the dark-eyed one.”
- Kennedy – Means “helmeted chief” or “ugly head” (from “ceann” – head, and “éidigh” – ugly).
- Walsh – Means “Welshman” or “foreigner.”
- MacDonald – “Son of Donald,” meaning “world ruler.”
- Quinn – From “Ó Cuinn,” meaning “descendant of Conn” (chief or wisdom).
- Doyle – Derived from “Ó Dubhghaill,” meaning “descendant of the dark stranger.”
- Byrne – Means “raven.”
- Gallagher – From “Ó Gallchobhair,” meaning “descendant of the foreign helper.”
- O’Brien – Means “descendant of Brian Boru,” a famous Irish king.
- Fitzgerald – Norman-Irish, meaning “son of Gerald.”
- Burke – Derived from the Norman surname “de Burgh,” meaning “from the fortress.”
Indigenous Surnames
Many Indigenous Canadians carry surnames rooted in their ancestral languages or those adopted through colonization.
- Crow – May refer to the bird or the Crow Nation.
- Bear – A common name in many Indigenous cultures, symbolizing strength.
- Whitecrow – A combination of “white” and “crow,” possibly descriptive.
- Rain – Could signify a connection to nature.
- Dumont – A French-influenced name found among Métis communities.
- Pelletier – Also common among Métis families.
- John – Often adopted from European missionaries.
- Bird – A name found in many First Nations communities.
- Fox – Another animal-inspired surname.
- Cloud – May represent a spiritual or natural connection.
German & Dutch Surnames
German and Dutch settlers also contributed to Canada’s multicultural surname landscape.
- Schmidt – The German equivalent of “Smith.”
- Müller – Means “miller” (one who grinds grain).
- Schneider – Means “tailor.”
- Fischer – Means “fisherman.”
- Weber – Means “weaver.”
- Becker – Means “baker.”
- Hoffman – Means “steward” or “manager of a farm.”
- Klein – Means “small” or “little.”
- Braun – The German form of “Brown.”
- Van Dyke – Dutch, meaning “from the dike.”
- De Jong – Dutch, meaning “the young.”
- Visser – Dutch for “fisherman.”
- Van den Berg – Dutch, meaning “from the mountain.”
- Bauer – German for “farmer.”
- Krüger – Means “tavern keeper.”
Other Influences (Italian, Ukrainian, Chinese, etc.)
Canada’s immigration waves brought surnames from all over the world.
Italian:
- Rossi – Means “red,” often referring to hair color.
- Ferrari – Means “blacksmith.”
- Bianchi – Means “white.”
- Ricci – Means “curly-haired.”
- Marino – Means “of the sea.”
Ukrainian:
- Kovalenko – Means “blacksmith.”
- Melnyk – Means “miller.”
- Bodnar – Means “cooper” (barrel maker).
- Shevchenko – Means “son of the shoemaker.”
- Boyko – A common Ukrainian clan name.
Chinese:
- Li/Lee – A common Chinese surname meaning “plum.”
- Wang – Means “king.”
- Zhang – One of the most common Chinese surnames.
- Chen – Means “ancient” or “to exhibit.”
- Liu – Means “willow.”
Others:
- Patel – Indian (Gujarati), meaning “village leader.”
- Singh – Punjabi, meaning “lion.”
- Khan – Central Asian, meaning “leader” or “ruler.”
- Garcia – Spanish, meaning “bear.”
- Silva – Portuguese, meaning “forest.”
Scandinavian Surnames
Many Canadians with Nordic ancestry carry surnames that reflect Viking heritage or Scandinavian occupations.
- Andersen – Danish/Norwegian, meaning “son of Anders” (Andrew).
- Johansson – Swedish, meaning “son of Johan” (John).
- Nielsen – Danish/Norwegian, meaning “son of Niels” (Nicholas).
- Erikson – Means “son of Erik” (eternal ruler).
- Larsen – Means “son of Lars” (Laurence).
- Hansen – Danish/Norwegian, meaning “son of Hans” (John).
- Olsen – Means “son of Ole” (ancestor’s relic).
- Pedersen – Means “son of Peder” (Peter).
- Bjornson – Means “son of Bjorn” (bear).
- Magnusson – Means “son of Magnus” (great).
Eastern European Surnames (Polish, Russian, Hungarian, etc.)
Canada welcomed many Eastern European immigrants, bringing surnames with strong linguistic roots.
Polish:
- Kowalski – Means “blacksmith.”
- Nowak – Means “newcomer.”
- Wójcik – Derived from “wojewoda” (warlord or governor).
- Mazur – Refers to someone from the Mazovia region.
- Dąbrowski – Means “from the oak forest.”
Russian:
- Ivanov – Means “son of Ivan” (John).
- Petrov – Means “son of Peter.”
- Sokolov – Means “son of the falcon.”
- Popov – Means “son of a priest.”
- Volkov – Means “son of the wolf.”
Hungarian:
- Nagy – Means “big” or “great.”
- Kovács – Means “blacksmith.”
- Tóth – Originally referred to a Slovak person.
- Szabó – Means “tailor.”
- Horváth – Means “Croat.”
Jewish Surnames
Jewish surnames in Canada often reflect occupations, patronymics, or locations from Europe.
- Cohen – A priestly lineage in Judaism.
- Levy/Levi – Another priestly name, from the tribe of Levi.
- Goldberg – Means “gold mountain.”
- Rosenberg – Means “rose mountain.”
- Abramowitz – Means “son of Abram.”
- Stein – Means “stone.”
- Weiss – Means “white.”
- Katz – An acronym for “Kohen Tzedek” (righteous priest).
- Friedman – Means “peace man.”
- Silverman – Means “silver man,” possibly a silversmith.
Arabic Surnames
With growing Middle Eastern and North African communities, Arabic surnames are increasingly common in Canada.
- Mohamed/Muhammad – Named after the Islamic prophet.
- Ali – Means “exalted” or “noble.”
- Hassan – Means “handsome” or “good.”
- Ahmed – Means “highly praised.”
- Khan – A title meaning “leader” or “ruler.”
- El-Masry – Means “the Egyptian.”
- Ibrahim – The Arabic form of “Abraham.”
- Osman – Derived from the name “Uthman.”
- Abdullah – Means “servant of God.”
- Malik – Means “king” or “owner.”
Uniquely Canadian or Anglicized Surnames
Some surnames evolved uniquely in Canada, either through Anglicization or blending of cultures.
- Lapointe – French-origin, meaning “the point” (often kept intact in Quebec).
- McKay/MacKay – Scottish, but widely used across Canada.
- Desjardins – French, meaning “of the gardens.”
- Lévesque – French, meaning “the bishop.”
- Beaulieu – French, meaning “beautiful place.”
Final Thoughts
Surnames are like tiny time capsules; each one carries a piece of history, whether it’s an ancestor’s job, a physical trait, or a connection to a place. In Canada, where cultures intertwine so beautifully, last names tell the story of the nation itself.
Do you recognize any of these surnames in your family tree? Or did you discover a new meaning behind a familiar name? Let us know in the comments!