In this section we'll look at the most common 3 letter last names in the United States. Currently, there are 4,647,809 people who have a last name that is 3 letters long.
These names are taken directly from the most recent 2010 Decennial Census data.
Currently, the most popular 3 letter last name in America is Lee, with a total count of 693,023 people who have the surname. The surname Lee occurs roughly 234 times per 100,000 people in the U.S.
The table below shows the 100 most common last names that are 3 letters long, along with the number of occurrences of each name.
Click any of the names in the table below to find out more about the origin, meaning, and ancestry of each last name.
| Name | Count | White | Black | API | AIAN | 2+ Races | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 693,023 | 35.95% | 16.33% | 42.22% | 0.97% | 2.64% | 1.89% |
| Kim | 262,352 | 2.52% | 0.39% | 94.47% | 0.02% | 1.96% | 0.65% |
| Cox | 261,231 | 82.62% | 12.07% | 0.50% | 0.67% | 1.82% | 2.33% |
| Fox | 152,334 | 88.08% | 6.06% | 0.56% | 1.03% | 1.84% | 2.42% |
| Ray | 133,171 | 74.97% | 17.54% | 1.94% | 0.93% | 2.05% | 2.56% |
| Day | 105,091 | 83.08% | 10.44% | 1.02% | 1.08% | 1.97% | 2.40% |
| May | 103,306 | 83.55% | 9.57% | 1.22% | 0.73% | 1.89% | 3.04% |
| Lin | 79,508 | 1.70% | 0.18% | 95.85% | 0.02% | 1.77% | 0.47% |
| Liu | 78,370 | 1.79% | 0.17% | 95.62% | 0.02% | 1.86% | 0.54% |
| Ali | 60,002 | 17.33% | 30.71% | 42.91% | 0.51% | 5.66% | 2.87% |
| Lam | 55,554 | 6.84% | 0.57% | 87.99% | 0.05% | 1.99% | 2.56% |
| Roy | 53,159 | 75.20% | 9.04% | 9.69% | 1.54% | 1.96% | 2.57% |
| Orr | 44,388 | 79.42% | 15.00% | 0.65% | 0.77% | 1.96% | 2.20% |
| Fry | 38,029 | 91.09% | 3.13% | 0.55% | 1.14% | 1.75% | 2.34% |
| Lim | 37,021 | 2.86% | 0.23% | 92.24% | 0.04% | 3.04% | 1.59% |
| Key | 33,501 | 68.56% | 24.61% | 0.90% | 0.99% | 2.33% | 2.61% |
| Cho | 33,490 | 1.88% | (S) | 95.12% | (S) | 1.92% | 0.80% |
| Ngo | 33,005 | 0.92% | (S) | 96.46% | (S) | 1.69% | 0.65% |
| Law | 32,122 | 65.61% | 15.63% | 14.22% | 0.39% | 2.08% | 2.07% |
| Tan | 32,120 | 3.30% | 0.19% | 92.37% | 0.11% | 2.62% | 1.42% |
| Gay | 32,025 | 70.72% | 22.51% | 1.84% | 0.73% | 1.87% | 2.32% |
| Han | 29,847 | 4.24% | 0.50% | 92.67% | 0.07% | 1.70% | 0.82% |
| Lau | 29,792 | 16.19% | 0.24% | 76.07% | 0.08% | 3.94% | 3.47% |
| Bui | 28,919 | 1.71% | 0.32% | 95.45% | 0.02% | 1.63% | 0.87% |
| Guy | 28,852 | 67.88% | 24.98% | 1.01% | 1.43% | 2.33% | 2.37% |
| Chu | 28,508 | 2.61% | (S) | 92.14% | (S) | 3.30% | 1.68% |
| Dye | 28,182 | 83.48% | 11.06% | 0.54% | 0.67% | 1.96% | 2.30% |
| Gil | 26,112 | 10.52% | 0.54% | 1.70% | 0.17% | 0.23% | 86.83% |
| Ott | 25,738 | 94.06% | 1.22% | 0.56% | 0.66% | 1.44% | 2.07% |
| Paz | 25,574 | 7.43% | 0.32% | 2.98% | 0.22% | 0.43% | 88.62% |
| Roe | 25,286 | 90.91% | 3.17% | 1.23% | 0.58% | 1.71% | 2.40% |
| Nix | 24,786 | 81.05% | 13.29% | 0.44% | 0.84% | 2.07% | 2.31% |
| Kay | 24,337 | 85.64% | 5.89% | 3.47% | 0.61% | 1.92% | 2.48% |
| Sun | 24,058 | 2.59% | 0.26% | 94.46% | 0.26% | 1.67% | 0.76% |
| Poe | 23,563 | 80.15% | 12.52% | 2.32% | 0.82% | 2.15% | 2.05% |
| Gee | 23,241 | 54.31% | 19.60% | 20.20% | 0.58% | 3.01% | 2.29% |
| Zhu | 21,265 | 0.88% | (S) | 98.23% | (S) | 0.58% | 0.16% |
| Ash | 21,030 | 81.09% | 13.40% | 0.54% | 0.51% | 2.14% | 2.31% |
| Yee | 20,591 | 5.58% | 0.58% | 83.54% | 0.05% | 6.99% | 3.26% |
| Lai | 19,157 | 3.48% | 0.31% | 91.72% | 0.04% | 3.24% | 1.22% |
| Lay | 18,468 | 70.98% | 7.57% | 14.41% | 1.01% | 2.23% | 3.80% |
| Cao | 18,138 | 1.38% | (S) | 95.22% | (S) | 1.05% | 2.12% |
| Hay | 18,029 | 85.74% | 7.14% | 2.83% | 0.37% | 1.63% | 2.30% |
| Mai | 17,445 | 11.32% | 0.55% | 85.47% | 0.11% | 1.40% | 1.14% |
| Ham | 16,980 | 66.22% | 11.61% | 16.41% | 0.40% | 1.66% | 3.69% |
| Hsu | 16,907 | 2.09% | (S) | 93.78% | (S) | 3.56% | 0.46% |
| Coe | 16,819 | 82.78% | 11.15% | 1.11% | 0.46% | 1.94% | 2.56% |
| Luu | 15,702 | 1.02% | 0.15% | 96.48% | 0.00% | 1.68% | 0.67% |
| Dow | 15,472 | 83.14% | 9.58% | 1.29% | 0.78% | 2.00% | 3.21% |
| Her | 15,089 | 1.55% | 0.23% | 94.82% | 0.04% | 0.99% | 2.37% |
| Fay | 14,849 | 92.62% | 1.70% | 1.00% | 0.44% | 1.40% | 2.84% |
| Rea | 14,819 | 72.34% | 0.92% | 1.21% | 0.59% | 1.10% | 23.83% |
| Way | 14,157 | 80.02% | 12.31% | 2.51% | 0.86% | 1.79% | 2.49% |
| Coy | 13,875 | 82.79% | 5.89% | 0.59% | 0.55% | 1.96% | 8.22% |
| Ivy | 13,524 | 55.32% | 38.52% | 0.58% | 0.50% | 2.85% | 2.24% |
| Joy | 13,413 | 78.15% | 8.41% | 7.75% | 0.63% | 2.27% | 2.80% |
| Tam | 13,327 | 5.55% | 0.55% | 90.16% | 0.05% | 2.31% | 1.39% |
| Yoo | 13,225 | 2.66% | (S) | 95.49% | (S) | 1.06% | 0.59% |
| Ely | 13,130 | 88.06% | 6.70% | 0.66% | 0.57% | 1.71% | 2.30% |
| Woo | 13,003 | 4.65% | 0.44% | 86.86% | 0.08% | 4.81% | 3.16% |
| Foy | 12,952 | 71.73% | 22.44% | 0.82% | 0.47% | 1.93% | 2.62% |
| Pan | 12,664 | 2.61% | 0.46% | 94.02% | 0.07% | 1.63% | 1.22% |
| Gao | 12,172 | 1.22% | (S) | 97.39% | (S) | 0.62% | 0.41% |
| Nye | 12,167 | 93.79% | 0.86% | 1.13% | 0.59% | 1.50% | 2.14% |
| Sam | 12,053 | 12.06% | 27.84% | 33.73% | 17.93% | 3.07% | 5.37% |
| Guo | 12,048 | 1.10% | 0.32% | 97.77% | 0.00% | 0.66% | 0.17% |
| Low | 12,032 | 61.77% | 1.70% | 28.82% | 0.36% | 4.31% | 3.03% |
| New | 11,903 | 88.62% | 4.39% | 1.49% | 0.86% | 1.82% | 2.82% |
| Cyr | 11,829 | 95.44% | 0.24% | 0.58% | 0.41% | 1.45% | 1.88% |
| Vue | 11,717 | 0.45% | (S) | 97.83% | (S) | 1.05% | 0.57% |
| Rao | 11,672 | 17.02% | 0.27% | 78.55% | 0.16% | 2.91% | 1.09% |
| Lor | 11,479 | 1.40% | (S) | 96.59% | (S) | 1.14% | 0.60% |
| Yan | 11,354 | 2.97% | (S) | 94.06% | (S) | 1.07% | 1.33% |
| Dao | 11,211 | 1.71% | 0.88% | 94.37% | 0.08% | 1.92% | 1.03% |
| Noe | 11,182 | 90.87% | 0.78% | 1.82% | 0.55% | 1.71% | 4.27% |
| Moe | 11,150 | 85.08% | 2.92% | 7.45% | 0.39% | 2.22% | 1.94% |
| Pak | 10,846 | 3.78% | (S) | 92.02% | (S) | 3.10% | 0.88% |
| Van | 10,798 | 22.18% | 6.30% | 67.23% | 0.39% | 2.10% | 1.81% |
| Eng | 10,682 | 13.50% | (S) | 77.38% | (S) | 5.96% | 2.79% |
| Ahn | 10,567 | 3.44% | 0.14% | 93.82% | 0.00% | 2.21% | 0.39% |
| Jin | 10,432 | 1.78% | 0.19% | 96.30% | 0.19% | 1.13% | 0.40% |
| Tom | 10,350 | 19.02% | 1.57% | 52.53% | 16.63% | 6.91% | 3.33% |
| Box | 10,098 | 82.98% | 10.98% | 0.60% | 1.32% | 1.87% | 2.25% |
| Son | 10,094 | 9.52% | 1.33% | 82.80% | 0.20% | 1.93% | 4.22% |
| Shi | 10,055 | 1.83% | 0.30% | 96.86% | 0.06% | 0.46% | 0.50% |
| Luo | 10,005 | 0.86% | (S) | 97.57% | (S) | 0.68% | 0.44% |
| Jay | 9,852 | 78.60% | 9.22% | 4.35% | 2.04% | 2.77% | 3.01% |
| Dix | 9,748 | 76.05% | 19.00% | 0.70% | 0.31% | 1.73% | 2.22% |
| Cha | 9,732 | 2.09% | (S) | 93.52% | (S) | 2.07% | 1.82% |
| Xie | 9,716 | 0.72% | 0.22% | 98.19% | (S) | 0.66% | (S) |
| Ong | 9,584 | 7.32% | (S) | 87.39% | (S) | 3.07% | 1.88% |
| Wei | 9,578 | 2.89% | 0.42% | 94.46% | 0.00% | 1.80% | 0.44% |
| Joe | 9,280 | 12.26% | 24.98% | 23.00% | 33.79% | 2.97% | 3.00% |
| Hoy | 9,196 | 85.30% | 4.86% | 4.67% | 0.32% | 1.61% | 3.25% |
| Lea | 9,180 | 72.43% | 16.38% | 4.65% | 0.93% | 2.33% | 3.28% |
| See | 9,081 | 73.59% | 1.68% | 19.51% | 0.75% | 2.00% | 2.46% |
| Erb | 9,060 | 96.08% | 0.33% | 0.49% | 0.42% | 1.10% | 1.58% |
| Kee | 9,049 | 51.25% | 21.79% | 10.84% | 10.66% | 2.69% | 2.76% |
| Rau | 8,961 | 90.97% | 1.70% | 3.11% | 0.36% | 1.64% | 2.22% |
| Yun | 8,933 | 3.01% | (S) | 93.45% | (S) | 2.37% | 0.86% |
Our database contains names ranging in length from 2 to 15 letters. To find out more information about last names of different lengths you can use the following links:
To find all of the most popular last names by starting letter, you can choose a letter from the following list:
If you want to get even more specific, we also have pages that will let you find last names beginning with A (or any other letter) based on a specific ancestry.
(You must really be into last names to get this far down the page!)
The links below will let you research white last names starting with each letter of the alphabet.
The links below will let you research black last names starting with each letter of the alphabet.
The links below will let you research Hispanic last names starting with each letter of the alphabet.
The links below will let you research Asian and Pacific Islander last names starting with each letter of the alphabet.
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of last names was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve our data, please contact us.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/3-letter-last-names/">100 most common 3 letter last names in the United States</a>
"100 most common 3 letter last names in the United States". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/3-letter-last-names/.
"100 most common 3 letter last names in the United States". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/3-letter-last-names/. Accessed 22 December, 2024
100 most common 3 letter last names in the United States. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/3-letter-last-names/.
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