Top 100 Canadian Last Names With Meanings

Family names or last names give us a feeling of character and help associate us with our ancestors, their achievements, and legacy.

We have compiled a list of the 100 most popular and common surnames in Canada, a beautiful country with gorgeous natural landscapes and unique traditions and history. It is also common to have two last names in Canada.

The names featuring on this list include some last names which are very popular in Canada, ones with a rich history, and importance, and also last names with occupational origins. We hope that one of these last names will speak out to you and their significance might resonate with you. You might like to use one of the names for a character you are creating or as a middle name or other given name for your child to give them a unique edge.

For more last names with meanings and history, take a look at Southern Last Names and Swedish Last Names.

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What's in a name? Shakespeare said that, but, everything is in a name. A name be it first or surname helps you create your own identity. If you are in true North Canada, then the most common and popular last names you'll find are Smith and Tremblay. So, we hope, you'll find the best Canadian last names for your child or character.

1. Anderson (Scottish origin) means "the son of Andrew". You can use this name as a first name too. Famous last name bearer: Pamela Anderson.

2. Beaulieu (French origin) means "the Fair Place". This would make a top last name.

3. Belanger (French origin) means "beautiful Anger".

4. Bouchard (French origin) means "Big Mouth".

5. Cameron (Scottish origin) means "Lowland and Highland". This Canadian last name could be used as a first name too.

6. Campbell (English origin) means "wry (or crooked) mouth". Famous last name bearer: actress Neve Campbell.

7. Chen (Chinese origin) means "exhibit', 'display', and/or 'plead".

8. Cote (English origin) means "one who occupied a cottage".

9. Davis (English origin) means "son of Davie".

10. Evans (English origin) means "the son of Evan". Famous last name bearer: actors Chris Evans, Luke Evans.

11. Fortin (French origin) means "dweller near the little fort".

12. Gagnon (French origin) means "guard dog".

13. Gauthier (French origin) means "ruler, army".

14. Gill (English origin) means "the son of Gill".

15. Girard (French origin) means "a spear".

16. Graham (English origin) means "grey home". Famous last name bearer: actress Kat Graham.

17. Grant (Scottish origin) means "le grand". Famous last name bearer: actor Hugh Grant.

18. Hall (English origin) means "at the hall".

19. Harris (English origin) means "the son of Harry". Famous last name bearer: actor Neil Patrick Harris.

20. Jackson (English origin) means "the son of John". Famous last name bearer: singer Michael Jackson.

21. Johnson (English origin) means "ancestor the son of John".

22. Johnston (English origin) means "John's town".

23. Kennedy (English origin) means “helmet”.

24. Khan (English origin) means "ruler of a horde".

25. King (English origin) means "kin".

26. Landry (English origin) means "Land Ruler".

27. Lapointe (French origin) means "of the point".

28. Lavoie (English origin) means "who lived by a road". It is one of the most common surnames in Canada and France.

29. Leblanc (French origin) means "blond".

30. Levesque (French origin) means "bishop".

31. Lewis (Scottish origin) means "Famed Warrior". A perfect last name that can be used as a first name too.

32. Lin (English origin) means "voice".

33. MacDonald (English origin) means "son of Donald".

34. Martin (English origin) means "the son of Martin". Joseph Martin, the Canadian President, had the same surname.

35. Mitchell (Irish origin) means "who is like God".

36. Michaud (Hebrew origin) means "God-like".

37. Morin (French & German origin) means 'the son of Maurice".

38. Morrison (English origin) means 'the son of Maurice".

39. Murphy (Irish origin) means "descendant of Murchadh".

40. Murray (English origin) means "lord of Petty".

41. Nadeau (English origin) means "Christmas".

42. Nguyen (Vietnam origin) means "musical instrument".

43. Ouellet (French origin) means "eye".

44. Patel (English origin) means "Village Headman”. One of the most common surnames in India, and is also common in Canada.

45. Pelletier (French origin) means "skin, fur".

46. Peters (English origin) means "son of Peter".

47. Reynolds (Germanic origin) means "son of Reynold". Famous last name bearer: actor Ryan Reynolds.

48. Richard (English origin) means "strong in the rule".

49. Rogen (Irish origin) means "redhead". Famous last name bearer: actor Seth Rogen.

50. Robinson (English origin) means "fame-bright".

51. Simard (English origin) means "victory".

52. Thomas (English origin) means "twin" and "leader".

53. Thompson (English origin) means "son of Thom(as)".

54. Tremblay (English origin) means "someone who lived near an aspen". A top choice of last names in Canada.

55. Wilson (English origin) means "son of William".

56. Williams (English origin) means "with Gilded Helmet".

57. Zhang (English origin) means "drawing a bow".

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Short is sweet. Yes, sometimes, less is more. You don't need an eight-letter surname to show how powerful or strong you are. Last names like Roy and Hill, and others, will help someone stand apart from their peers and in society.

58. Allen (Scottish origin) means "the son of Alan,' or 'Allen,' or 'Aleyn': Yonge".

59. Bell (English origin) means "the son of Bell". Among the top last names in Canada.

60. Brown (English origin) means "the son of Brun".

61. Chan (Chinese origin) means "old". Famous last name bearer: actor Jackie Chan.

62. Lee (English origin) means "at the lea". Brett Lee is an Australian previous global cricketer, who played every one of the three organizations of the game.

63. Jones (English origin) means "slang". Both Lee and Jones can be used as two last names in many cultures as well as Canada. It's another common surname among Canadian people.

64. Kelly (Irish origin) means “descendant of Ceallach”. Famous name bearer: singer Kelly Clarkson.

65. Reid (Scottish origin) means "the red". Famous name bearer: actor Reid Scott.

66. Ross (Scottish origin) means "the horse".

67. Roy (English origin) means "king". It will make a perfect first name and also it is widely used by many Bengalis in India.

68. Scott (Scottish origin) means "a person From Scotland". Famous name bearer: Scott Adkins.

69. Singh (Indian origin) means "eminent person". A very common surname used by many Indians, especially in Punjab.

70. White (English origin) means "Valiant".

71. Wong (English origin) means "Young".

72. Young (English origin) means "valiant".

There is so much that is unique about Canada, like the last names. In a country with such stunning surroundings, it's no surprise that there are some beautiful nature-inspired last names, which are quirky and weird too.

73. Desjardins (French origin) means "gardens".

74. Fraser (Scottish origin) means "strawberry flowers", a common surname in Canada.

75. Gagne (French origin) means "'to cultivate". It is similar to the name of a holy river in India.

76. Green (English origin) means "at the green", very popular with people.

77. Hamilton (English origin) means "treeless hill". Also the name of the famous musical "Hamilton' by actor and singer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

78. Hill (English origin) means "at the hill".

79. Moore (English origin) means "open land", a popular surname among people. Famous last name bearer: actress Julianne Moor.

80. Poirier (French origin) means "pear-tree".

81. Wang (English origin) means "grassy slope".

82. Watson (English origin) means "son of water". Famous last name bearer: Hollywood actress Emma Watson and Australian cricketer Shane Watson.

83. Wood (English origin) means "forest".

Each province and territories of Canada have last names that are derived from a profession or occupation. Many people love these names as much as they love Canadian first names. Check out some well known last names with occupational origins:

84. Adams (English origin) means "descendant of the metal worker". This last name is with a slight modification in this name and it becomes a very common Scottish surname McAdams, which means "son of Adams". It is also the last name of actress Rachel McAdams.

85. Baker (English origin) means "an occupation the baker". Baker is a common last name bearer: actor Simon Baker.

86. Bergeron (French origin) means "one who took care of a flock".

87. Boucher (English origin) means "the butcher".

88. Caron (French origin) means "a wheelwright".

89. Clark (English origin) means "the clerk", it's a common surname among people in Canada. The name was made famous by Superman's portrayal as a country boy, Clark Kent, in DC Comics.

90. Clarke (English origin) means "the clerk".

91. Cloutier (French origin) means "one who made and sold nails".

92. Dube (French origin) means "one who raised and sold feather-legged pigeons".

93. Fournier (French origin) means "oven-keeper".

94. Lefebvre (French origin) means "metal worker".

95. Miller (English origin) means 'the miller". A miller is a person who grinds corn.

96. Smith (English origin) means "blacksmith or another skilled worker". Smith is one of the many common surnames used in people in Canada.

97. Stewart (English origin) means "household guardian". Famous last name bearer: actor Patrick Stewart.

98. Taylor (English origin) means "tailor". Famous name bearer: singer Taylor Swift.

99. Wright (English origin) means "shaper of wood".

100. Walker (English origin) means "a fuller of cloth", a common surname among Canadian people.

Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for some common Canadian Last Names then why not take a look at  Austrian Last Names, or for something different take a look at Country Dog Names.