120 Canadian Last Names or Surnames

A surname or last name is a part of one’s personal name, which establishes your sense of belonging to a family. Depending on different cultures and customs around the world, surnames vary in their meaning, and play a key role in social institutions like employment or marriage. The linguistic development of Canada in the mid-18th century took place due to the immigration and colonization of the country by the French. Over the years, the French-Canadians, or the Francophone community, developed various last names of French origins. They have a specific custom of adopting an alternate surname or Dit name, derived from the French word ‘dire’, meaning ‘to say’. The first name is an ancestral surname, and the Dit name is the family name, by which it is called. Smith is one of the most common last name in Canada. This well-researched inventory of Canadian last names will not only help in the identification of an individual, but trace the place of origin and occupation of your ancestors.

120 Popular Canadian Surnames or Family Names

This unique list of top last names in Canada helps to create a meaningful combination of first and last names while selecting a suitable one for your newborn baby.

1. Adams

Derived from MacAdam, this English and Scottish surname means ‘son of Adam’.

2. Allen

A variant of MacAllen, Allen has Celtic origins, which means ‘cheerful’ and ‘handsome’. In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, it means ‘little rock’ or ‘harmony’.

3. Anderson

This Greek patronymic surname comes from the Greek name Andreas, and means ‘manly’, or ‘son of Andrew’.

4. Armstrong

The name is of Scottish origin and represents someone with strong arms.

5. Beaulieu

It is a habitational name from numerous places in France and means ‘fair lovely’.

6. Bennett

The name is of Latin origin and means ‘blessed’. 

7. Baker

Derived from the Anglo-Saxon Bacan, meaning ‘to dry by heat’, Baker refers to the ‘baker of bread.’

8. Barbeau

Derived from the French ‘Barbel’, a type of fish, Barbeau was a common name among fishermen.

9. Bell

This English occupational surname denoted ‘a bell maker’ or ‘bell ringer’.

10. Bergeron

A part of this name is an Old German word, ‘berg’, meaning ‘hill’. It may have been derived from the word Berger, meaning ‘shepherd.

11. Bouchard

Bouchard has Norman origins, composed of the Germanic elements ‘bourg’ meaning ‘fort’, and ‘heard’ meaning ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, and ‘strong’. It was a nickname for ‘someone with a big mouth’ in French.

12. Boucher

This French occupational surname means ‘butcher’.

13. Brown

Brown has Scottish, Irish, or English origins, and describes ‘a person with brown hair, complexion, or clothing.’

14. Cameron

This Scottish surname is derived from Gaelic origins, meaning ‘crooked nose’.

15. Campbell

This Scottish surname refers to ‘someone with a crooked mouth’.

16. Charpentier

Charpentier is a French surname that means ‘carpenter’.

17. Clark

This Irish occupational surname means ‘scribe’, or ‘secretary’.

18. Cloutier

This French surname refers to ‘someone who made and sold nails’.

19. Cook

This Old English word refers to ‘seller of cooked meals’.

20. Cote

This French topographic surname denotes someone who ‘lived on a slope or riverbed’.

21. Cormier

The name comes from Old French and is a topographic name for someone who lived near a sorb or service tree.

22. Cyr

The name is of Greek origin and means ‘Lordly’.

23. Davis

This Old English surname means ‘son of David’ or ‘beloved’.

24. Desjardins

Jardin means ‘garden’ in French. This topographic name is translated to ‘gardener’.

25. Dube

This French surname refers to ‘someone from Duba or Doube.’

26. Evans

Evans is a patronymic surname with Welsh origins, and is derived from the name Ifan. It means ‘son of Evan’ in its Anglicised form.

27. Edwards

The surname means ‘son of Edward’.

28. Ferguson

Ferguson is an Anglicization of the Scots Gaelic “Macfhearghus”. It means ‘son of the angry one’.

29. Fortin

This French surname refers to ‘a strong man’.

30. Fournier

Fournier means ‘baker’ in French.

31. Fraser

Derived from the Scottish Frazer or French Fresel, meaning ‘ribbon, braid’, was probably the nickname of such merchants.

32. Gaboury

This French surname means ‘joker’.

33. Gagne

This Old French surname refers to a ‘farmer’.

34. Gagnon

This Old French occupational surname also means a ‘farmer’.

35. Gauthier

Gauthier is a French name of Germanic origins, meaning ‘forest’.

36. Girard

This Germanic and French last name means ‘strong’ and ‘brave spear-wearer’.

37. Graham

This Old English surname means ‘gravel-y homestead’ or ‘gravel’.

38.Grant

Derived from English, Scottish and Irish origins, Grant means ‘tall’ or ‘large’.

39. Green

This Old English surname is used to describe someone who ‘dwelled at or near the village or grassy ground.’

40. Grenier

It is the French word for an attic or loft.

41. Hall

This English surname refers to someone who ‘lived or worked near a hall or manor house’.

42. Hamilton

Derived from Scottish or Old English origin, Hamilton means ‘flat-topped hill’.

43. Harris

This surname of Irish and British origins represents ‘son of Harry’.

44. Hebert

This Old French surname means ‘famous’, or ‘the son of Hubert’.

45. Hill

Derived from the Greek or Latin name Hillary, Hill refers to ‘someone who lived on a hill’.

46. Huppe

This German surname originates from hoopoe, and means ‘the bird’.

47. Jackson

This English surname means ‘son of Jack’.

48. Johnson

This Scottish surname means ‘son of John’. Derived from the Latin Johannes and Hebrew Yohanan, it means ‘Yahweh has favoured’.

49. Johnstone

The name is of Old English origin and means ‘John’s town’.

50. Kim

This popular surname means ‘gold’.

51. Kelly

An Anglicized variant of the Irish surname O’Ceallaigh, Kelly means ‘descendant of Ceallach’ or ‘warrior’.

52. Kennedy

Originating from the Irish or Gaelic O’Cinneide, Kennedy means ‘chieftain’ or ‘leader’.

53. Landry

Landry is derived from the Germanic Land-rick, and signifies ‘land-ruler’.

54. Lapointe

Lapointe was a nickname for a soldier, and referred to ‘the point of lance or spear’ in French.

55. Lavoie

This French surname refers to someone who ‘lived by the road’.

56. Leblanc

This French surname referred to someone ‘with white hair’ or who is ‘fair’.

57. Leclerc

This French surname denotes ‘a scribe’.

58. Lee

This Old English surname means ‘a meadow or forest clearing’.

59. Lefebre

This Old French surname means a ‘blacksmith.’

60. Levesque

This French surname means ‘bishop’.

61. Lewis

Derived from the Norman Lowis, or post-classical Latin Lodovicus, Lewis means ‘victorious in athletic games’.

62. Liu

The surname is of Chinese origin and means ‘kill’.

63. Murray

The surname is of Scottish origin and represents a sea settlement.

64. Macdonald

Macdonald is an Anglicized form of the Scottish-Gaelic and Irish MacDhomhnaill, and means ‘son of Domhnall’.

65. Martel

Derived from the Old French ‘martel’ meaning ‘hammer’, Martel refers to ‘a smith’.

66. Miller

Derived from Scottish, English, French, and German origins, Miller refers to ‘a mill-keeper or one who worked in a grain mill’.

67. Michaud

This French name refers to ‘one who is like God’.

68.Mitchell

This Middle English surname refers to ‘big’ or ‘one who is like God’.

69. Moore

This Old English surname refers to someone ‘dwelling near a heath’.

70. Morin

This Old French surname means ‘dark and swarthy’, or comes from the Irish O’Moran, which means ‘son of Maurice’.

71. Morrison

Morrison means ‘dark’ in Latin and ‘son of Morris’ in English.

72. Murphy

Derived from the Irish O’Murchadha, Murphy means ‘descendant of Murchadh’ or ‘sea-warrior’.

73. Nadeau

Derived from the Occitan Nadau or Nadal, Nadeau means ‘Christmas’.

74. Nguyen

It represents a string instrument that is plucked.

75. Ouellet

Adapted from French-Canadian Houallet, or oeill meaning ‘eye’, Ouellet refers ‘to the source of a spring.’

76. Park

This Old French surname means someone who ‘works or lives near a park’.

77. Parsons

This Middle English surname refers to ‘a parson’s servant or someone who worked in the parson’s house.’

78. Payne

This English surname means ‘rustic’ or ‘countryman’.

79. Pelletier

This French surname refers to ‘a fur trader’.

80. Peters

Derived from English and Dutch origins, Peters means ‘Peter’s son’.

81. Poirier

This French surname means ‘pear tree’ or ‘someone who lived close to a pear tree’.

82. Powell

This Welsh surname means ‘son of Hywel’.

83. Paquette

The name is of Old French origin and means ‘bundle of kindling’.

84. Poulin

The surname is of French origin and means ‘young animal colt’.

85. Reid

This Scottish surname means ‘red’.

86. Richard

This Germanic name of French origin means ‘powerful ruler’.

87. Roberts

This British surname means ‘bright renown’.

88. Robertson

Originating from Scotland, Robertson means ‘son of Robert’.

89. Robinson

This English surname means ‘son of Robin’.

90. Ross

This Gaelic surname means ‘headland’.

91. Roy

Derived from Old French rey, or Norman Roy, it means ‘king’.

92. Russell

This Old French surname refers to ‘someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion’.

93. Sartre

Sartre is a French occupational surname derived from the Latin sartor, meaning ‘tailor’.

94. Scott

This Old English surname means ‘wanderer’.

95. Serrurier

This French surname means ‘locksmith’.

96. Simard

This Germanic surname is composed of ‘sig’ meaning ‘victory’ and ‘mar’ meaning ‘famous’.

97. Singh

Singh means ‘lion’ in Farsi, or is the variant of the Sanskrit ‘simha’, and it refers to ‘a hero’.

98. Smith

This Old English surname refers ‘to someone who works in metal’.

99. St-Jean

This French surname refers to someone from a place of this name in France and Belgium.’

100. Stewart

The surname is of Scottish origin and means ‘steward’.

101. Turner

It is an occupational surname.

102. Taylor

This surname of British and French origins means ‘tailor’.

103. Thibault

Thibault is composed of Germanic elements ‘theod’ meaning ‘people’, and bald means ‘bold’.

104. Thompson

This Scottish surname means ‘son of Thomas’.

105. Toussaint

This French surname refers to a child born on All Saints Day’.

106. Trembley

This French surname refers to someone who ‘lived near a group of Aspen trees’.

107. Urbain

This French surname means ‘from the city’.

108. Vaillancourt

This French surname means ‘low lying farm’.

109. Van

This English surname refers to ‘someone who lived in a low-lying marsh-y area’.

110. Villeneuve

This surname is derived from the French words ‘ville’ meaning ‘settlement’ and ‘neuve’ meaning ‘new’.

111. Walker

This English and German surname means ‘an officer whose duty was to inspect a certain part of a forest’.

112. Walsh

This Irish surname means ‘Briton’ or ‘foreigner’ taken by soldiers from Britain.

113. Watson

This surname of English and Scottish origins means ‘son of Walter.’

114. White

This Middle-English surname refers to ‘someone with very light hair or complexion’.

115. Williams

This medieval name of English, French and Italian descent means ‘son of William’.

116. Wilson

This English and Scottish surname means ‘desire’, ‘helmet’, or ‘protection’.

117. Wood

This English and Scottish topographic name indicates ‘someone who lived in or by a wood’.

118. Ward

Is is an English occupational surname that means ‘to watch’.

119. Young

Is it a multi-origin surname that denotes a younger brother.

120. Zhang

The surname is of Chinese origin and means ‘archer’.

Finding the right last name for your newborn can be an exciting challenge. So, choose one among the best common Canadian last names that are easy to pronounce, have relevant meanings, and are sure to add value to your child’s first name.