# Let's find the "John Smith" name for every nationality **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106 "2004-06-01T17:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RindaRinda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RindaRinda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RindaRinda)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/21 "2004-06-02T00:08:06Z")
> [@Mr. Kobayashi](#): > > I like the 9th most common Japanese name. Yeah, I don’t have enough fingers and toes for all the “Mr/Ms Kobayashi’s” I know! > [@](#): > > For Japan, Hiroshi Sato. I’d nominate Taro Suzuki. They use “Taro” as their generic boys’ name. I have no idea what the generic female name is. I wonder what the female version of “John Smith” is, anyway? “Jane Doe” doesn’t count, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/22 "2004-06-02T00:15:18Z")
This thread reminds me of my father’s running joke of referring to the Italian composer Guiseppe Verdi as “Mean Joe Greene.” (Guiseppe = Joseph; Verdi = green) ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/23 "2004-06-02T00:29:10Z")
I don’t know about a common first name but every second person in NZ is named Anderson. I also know many Khan’s from Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/24 "2004-06-02T01:16:20Z")
Yup. Quebec is definitely Tremblay. (For no reason I can readily determine, in Winnipeg it seems to be Friesen.) ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/25 "2004-06-02T01:33:43Z")
When I built the Jesus College, Oxford Old Members database (Jesus College has historically had a large intake of students from Wales), about 10-15% of the students had the last name “Jones.” That wasn’t 10-15% of the Welsh students, that was 10-15% of _everybody_–I think the proportion of Joneses among the Welsh students was close to 20%. There was an old joke that one could walk into the quad at Jesus College, shout “Jones!” and have 20 students stick their heads out of the windows. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/26 "2004-06-02T02:15:17Z")
A quick consultation with my better half reveals that in Brazil, John Smith would be rendered as “Zé da Silva” (the Zé is short for “José”) ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/27 "2004-06-02T02:21:32Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > (For no reason I can readily determine, in Winnipeg it seems to be Friesen.) Winnipeg has a pretty large Mennonnite population. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/28 "2004-06-02T02:40:56Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > There was an old joke that one could walk into the quad at Jesus College, shout “Jones!” and have 20 students stick their heads out of the windows. “I love the musical _West Side Story_, but there is a mistake in the movie version. … So Tony, white guy, runs into this completely Latino, Puerto Rican neighbourhood, and he screams ‘_MARIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!_’ And _ **only one woman** _ comes to the window!! You yell ‘Maria’ like that in my Italian neighbourhood, forty fat women in aprons. ‘Whaddya want?! Shut up!’” - Lea DeLaria ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/29 "2004-06-02T03:15:47Z")
Oh yes, every other kid I went to school with in northern Quebec seemed to be named “Marie-Luc Tremblay” or “Guy Tremblay” but I felt as though “Oullette” (sorry if I misspelled that, I left in 6th grade and I’ve since forgotten) was a close second. I was going to put forth Sameer Patel but Patel is really only a common last name for people from Gujarat. In my state/culture, I guess it would be “Joshi” and in the North “Gupta” is really common and in the South (I may be mistaken) but Subramanian is big but I think the most populous Indian group in the US is still the Gujaratis so it makes it seem as though Patel is the most common last name for all of us although it really varies by state/region. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/30 "2004-06-02T04:27:13Z")
Even though Wikipedia says ‘de Jong’ is the most common last name here, I’d say a free translation of John Smith, would be _Jan Jansen_ [I like the ‘Jan Lul’ from \*\*Colibri\*\*'s list, though. 😃] Every ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ would be: ‘Jan, Piet and Klaas’ here. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/31 "2004-06-02T05:07:29Z")
> [@](#): > > I wonder what the female version of “John Smith” is, anyway? “Jane Doe” doesn’t count, does it? In America, I’d say Mary Smith. [The 1990 census](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.female.first) showed more than 2.5% of the women in their sample were named Mary. (Better than one in 40, jeez!) Someday I suppose that ‘distinction’ will be held by Emily, since it’s been the most popular name in the country for baby girls for 8 years running. I bet there won’t be as many Emilys as a percentage, though. And Smith is still the top last name. [This site](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/) was at the center of another baby name thread a few months ago. They’re both fun to search through. Full of surprises. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/32 "2004-06-02T05:53:35Z")
With the [Quebec List](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_popular_family_names#Quebec%2C_Canada), I can actually think of a hockey player/coach with virtually every last name in that list…I know, hockey is Canada’s sport, but just looking at that list, all of those names just stick out like NHL jersey name plates. Definitely can make a few all star teams with that list. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/33 "2004-06-02T05:57:21Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Russian: Ivan Ivanovitch, but someone will have to supply a proper last name. Actually, when I was reading “Dr. Zhivago”, there were a couple characters by this name. It bugged me because I realized it translates to “John Johnson” or “John, son of John”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/34 "2004-06-02T06:16:19Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Danish: Lars Larsen. Or Hans Hansen, or Jens Jensen. Take your pick. 🙂 > > Russian: Ivan Ivanovitch, but someone will have to supply a proper last name. Believe it or not, Romanov. No relation to the Tsars and that. **HPL** -just in case no one knows, the middle name in Russia is always that of the father-boys are say, Ivan Alexandrovich, or Dmitri Nicholaevich. For the females, it would be Olga Alexandrovna or Anya Nicholaevna. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/35 "2004-06-02T06:36:46Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Yup. Quebec is definitely Tremblay. Actually, at least up until the 70s, it was said that 1 Québecois out of 5 had a Tremblay in his family. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/36 "2004-06-02T06:51:17Z")
What, no mention of [Tommy Atkins](http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/books/bookfaq5.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/37 "2004-06-02T06:55:16Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > I was going to put forth Sameer Patel but Patel is really only a common last name for people from Gujarat. … I think the most populous Indian group in the US is still the Gujaratis so it makes it seem as though Patel is the most common last name for all of us although it really varies by state/region. Also, people who’ve worked in and/or stayed at “budget” motels have had such experiences as stopping at six different Patel-run lodgings during a two-week trip. Interestingly, as [this article](http://www.asianweek.com/2002_11_08/news_patels.html) mentions, many of the USA and Canadian Patels did not emigrate from India. Rather, they found refuge in North America after being kicked out of Uganda during the era of Idi Amin’s rule over that African country. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/38 "2004-06-02T08:02:14Z")
The most common single surname in Norway is Hanssen. But if you count all possible spelling variations together as one name, as far as I remember, Johansen and all its variations just barely beats Hanssen. The stereotypical Norskie first names are Ole for a man and Kari for a woman, though Statistics Norway ([http://www.ssb.no](http://www.ssb.no)) claims that Jan and Anne are actually the most common first names. The equivalent of Joe Blow or John Q. Public, on the other hand, is Ole (or Kari) Nordmann. “Nordmann” literally means a Norwegian, and like Blow and Public is not intended to represent an actual surname. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/39 "2004-06-02T11:50:02Z")
I know about 12 different Singh families from India. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/40 "2004-06-02T12:27:08Z")
Patel and Shah - two very common Gujarati last names… the Bombay telephone book has countless pages devoted only to these two names. And there is a running joke here that if you’re a Patel or a Shah, you might as well not bother applying for a US visa, tourist or otherwise - they have too many of them already 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106.md?page=3)