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Complete List Of Common Australian Surnames & Their Origins

Australia is a melting pot of people from different places and cultures. However, it was not always like this – it was once a British colony that only started celebrating multiculturalism and diversity in the early 1970s.

This is very apparent in their surnames and their meanings. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular surnames in Australia and trace their roots from different origins.

Australian Naming Traditions

Given the country’s history with the UK, naming traditions have been passed down from its colonizers. From naming structure to the creative practices of nicknaming, British influence has been absorbed deeply into Australia’s naming traditions.

Arrangement

Australian names follow English naming conventions. They start with the first name or “given name”, which is then followed by the middle given name(s) and ends with the surname or “family name”. For example, Mary Maggie Williams.

Abbreviation

Similar to the UK, Australians have informal words. While the British use words like “telly” for television or “brit” for Britain, Australia takes this a step further by applying abbreviations to or changing names completely, typically to signal close friendship.

For example, Cheryl doesn’t just become “Cher”. Australians may instead say “Chezzie”. It is also common for Australians to refer to people as “mate” (for males) or “love” (for females)/

Where Do Australian Surnames Come From?

Take a look at Australian white pages, and you’ll see that the most common surnames have similar origins. Aside from surnames that come from non-British countries (evidence of the country’s diversity), the most common Australian surnames are either patronymic, occupational, or descriptive.

Patronymic Surname

Surnames in Australia are often derived from someone’s paternal ancestry. This is created by adding a prefix or a suffix to the name. For instance, MacDonald is a surname of Scottish origin, meaning “son of Donald”.

Occupational Surname

Some of the most common surnames in Australia refer to someone’s occupation. For example, Fisher is a surname that may have referred to someone who was a fisherman by trade.

Descriptive Surname

Some common surnames in Australia are based on personal descriptions of an ancestor. These last names may describe someone’s skin (e.g. White), physical attributes (e.g. Armstrong), or height (e.g. Little), among others.

Examples Of Common Australian Surnames

The most common Australian surnames show the history of certain groups of people moving from one part of the world to the land down under. Below are some examples of common surnames in Australia:

  • Anderson: This is an English patronymic surname derived from “son of Andrew”.
  • Smith: This is an occupational surname for smiths/blacksmiths.
  • Williams: Like Anderson, this surname is also a patronymic referring to the “son of William”. However, this name also has other meanings. This name combines Old French and Germanic elements that mean “helmet” or “protection”.
  • Brown: This has Middle English and Old English roots. This common surname could refer to someone being brown-haired or brown-skinned.
  • Nguyen: This is a Vietnamese name and one of the most common surnames in the country (7th in ranking nationwide), meaning “a musical instrument that is plucked”.
  • Taylor: An English occupational name. It’s derived from the French “tailleur” and its counterpart in Ancient Latin “taliare” meaning “to cut”. It also means “eternal beauty” or “clothed in salvation” based on biblical translation.
  • Lewis: This common Welsh and Scottish surname is derived from a Germanic name meaning “famous battle”.
  • Lee: A name of Chinese origin. Meanwhile, the surname Lea, from Middle English, means a person who lives near a clearing in the woods or “lay”.
  • Phillips: Another patronymic name meaning “son of Phillip”.
  • Ryan: Derived from the old Gaelic word “righ” meaning “king”. It is believed to mean “little king”.
  • Parker: Comes from a french word meaning “keeper of the park”. Although sounding like an occupational surname, it actually originated from Old English.
  • Cox: A popular surname in the United Kingdom of English and Welsh origin.
  • Blackman: Meaning “a man of dark color”. This Old English name was often given to Danish Vikings who permanently resided in Scotland.
  • Campbell: A name that means “wry mouth” or “abnormal”. It’s one of the most common surnames in Scotland and Ireland, often used to describe a man with an abnormally slanted mouth.
  • Jackson: Another patronymic surname meaning “son of Jack”.

Examples Of Common Australian Surnames

Aside from aboriginal Australians, most Aussies have roots that trace back to other countries – this explains why most of the common Australian surnames trace back to the UK.

Tracing your surname’s origins is one way to learn about your family’s history. Another way is to look at old photos. Restore your vintage and damaged photos today with Image Restoration!