Australian Last Names and Their Origins

 

Australian last names are made up of a large mix of names from different countries and languages. Due to colonization by the British, the majority of Australian surnames are of British origin. It has an interesting history which is evidenced by the fact that the majority of the most popular names are of British origin. (Even the Australian flag partly bears the British flag).

Australia is a diverse country full of people from all over the world and of different cultures and backgrounds. Due to immigration, a lot of popular Australian last names are of Chinese, Korean and Indian origin.

 

Most Common Australian Last Names and Meanings

Listed below are the most common surnames in Australia. You will notice that they are very diverse, originating from many different countries  around the world.

Smith – A very common English occupational name referring to a blacksmith.

Jones – An English or Welsh patronymic name, meaning son of John/Jehovah has favored.

Martin – A French name referring to Mars, the Roman god of fertility and war.

Williams – A patronymic English name meaning son of William.

Kelly – An Irish name meaning descendant of Ceallach, or “descendant of war.”

Johnson – An English patronymic surname meaning Son of John.

Kim – A Korean name meaning gold or metal. This last name is also one of the most common Korean last names.

King – An English name referring to royalty, and meaning “tribal leader.”

Singh – An Indian name meaning Lion, also very popular in India.

White – An English name referring to a fair-haired or pale complexion.

Nguyen – A Vietnamese name meaning a musical instrument that is plucked or string instrument.

Kumar – An Indian name meaning child or prince.

Harris – An English name meaning son of Harry.

Ryan – An Irish/Gaelic origin name meaning descendant of Riaghan, or “little king.”

Patel – An Indian name meaning village chief.

Lee – A Chinese and Korean name meaning plum tree. It can also be a variation of the name Lea, meaning someone who lives near a Laye.

Taylor – An English occupational name for a tailor.

Sharma – An Indian name meaning happiness/joy.

Thompson – A Scottish patronymic surname meaning son of Thomas. (Thom meaning Twin)

Walker – An English occupational name for someone who beats cloth.

Prasad – An Indian name meaning favour or offering.

 

You can read more of our worldlastnames.com articles below.

1. Vietnamese Last Names
2. Pakistani Last Names
3. Danish Last Names
4. Romanian Last Names
5. Brazilian Last Names
6. Finnish Last Names
7. Czech Last Names
8. Samoan Polynesian Last Names
9. Nigerian Last Names
10. Ukrainian Last Names