# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/41 "2004-06-02T12:52:42Z")
Agarwal isn’t exactly an uncommon name for Indians, and neither is Subramanian. I get the feeling that the last name “Abdi” for Somalians is as common as “Smith” is for WASP Americans. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/42 "2004-06-02T13:36:39Z")
My non-scientific, non cite-able entries. Ireland: Apart from the already mentioned Paddy Murphy and Patrick O’Brien I would like to add John O’Connor. Holland: I agree with what **Gum** said about Holland as a whole, but where I’m from they’re rare. I’d say “Hendrix” is the most common there. ---
**Author:** ![hapaXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@hapaXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hapaXL)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/43 "2004-06-02T15:35:46Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > 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”) In Hawai’i, which counts the Portuguese among its multicultural population (imported from the Azores to work the cane fields), the guy featured in all the “Portagee” jokes is always named “da Silva.” > [@Elret](#): > > I know about 12 different Singh families from India. Is this a really common Sikh name? I seem to remember reading something about Sikh families using Singh (Lion) as a name for boys and Kaur (princess) as a name for girls. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/44 "2004-06-02T16:40:36Z")
Let me take an educated stab at two others: **Hungarian** – First name has got to be _Janos_ or _Milos_. Last name has got to be either _Nagy_ (“big” - cf. French _LeGrand_) or _Kovacs_ (which means literally “smith”). **Greek** – ummm … _Yanni Papadopolou_? _Niki Costas_? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/45 "2004-06-02T17:54:45Z")
Would _ **Canada’s** _ most typical name be Gordon McKenzie? Seems to be a disproportionately large number of men named Gordy north of the border. Scottish last names, especially McKenzie, are also commonplace. ---
**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, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/46 "2004-06-02T21:24:09Z")
**PookahMacPhellimey** - _[Hi, How’re you doing in that lovely green country? :)]_ - Hendrix? I know several de Jongs and a lot of Jansens, no Hendrixes though. Maybe Hendriks? ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/47 "2004-06-02T21:38:26Z")
Brazil - José da Silva José = Joseph. Very common. “da Silva” is a very common surname. Actually means from the “forest”. Silva originates from Sylvan in Latin. Commonly given to those registering in the ports that were bound to the vast interior of Brazil. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/48 "2004-06-02T21:41:13Z")
Hebrew - by far the most popular last name is (yup, you guessed it) Cohen. Followed by (drumroll…) - Levi. So much for surprises… Most popular first names might include Avi and Eli (short for Abraham, Elijah), but this is nowhere near as clear-cut, especially for younger people. So an “archtypical” Hebrew name might be _Avi Cohen_ or _Eli Cohen_. There is no real translation for “Every Tom, Dick and Harry” - One might conceivably use “Avraham Yitzhaq ve-Yaaqov”, but it just doesn’t carry yje same meaning. Normally it’s more like “Everyone [literally - ‘all of the nation of Israel’] and his wife (and their dog)”… [“Kol am Israel ve-Ishto (ve-ha-Kelev)” in Hebrew] but you do get archtypical **pairs** of names for telling stories/dialogs: usually “Reuven ve-Shimon” or “Shimon ve-Levy” (“ve-” means “and”). Dani (another fairly common first name!) ---
**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, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/49 "2004-06-02T21:52:35Z")
Originally posted by **Noone Special** > [@](#): > > _Dani > (another fairly common first name!)_ Is it? I like it. Is it short for Daniël, or Daniëlle? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/50 "2004-06-02T22:25:37Z")
Hee hee! My last name is Belgian, and it’s on the wikipedia list. In the US, my name is extremely rare, so rare in fact, that people comment on it. I guess in Belgium I’m pretty common. . . ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/51 "2004-06-02T22:51:14Z")
> [@RindaRinda](#): > > I’d nominate Taro Suzuki. They use “Taro” as their generic boys’ name. The Japanese equivalent of “John Smith” is “Taro Yamada”. Check out the sample letter a ways down on [this page](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/shukan-st/special/se2002/se20020819.htm). Taro Yamada is also used as the example name in the instructions on the customs form you have to fill out on overseas flights. (It’s a U.S. government form.) ---
**Author:** ![RindaRinda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RindaRinda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RindaRinda)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/52 "2004-06-03T00:23:17Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > The Japanese equivalent of “John Smith” is “Taro Yamada”. Check out the sample letter a ways down on [this page](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/shukan-st/special/se2002/se20020819.htm). > > Taro Yamada is also used as the example name in the instructions on the customs form you have to fill out on overseas flights. (It’s a U.S. government form.) You’re very definitely right about the sample name being Taro Yama(something). I remember seeing that on my last flight - though it might’ve been Taro Yamamoto. So maybe Japan’s John Smith = Taro Yamada/Yamamoto. I think most of the American characters in Japanese English textbooks is called “Bill.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/53 "2004-06-03T01:47:34Z")
The most common French last name is Martin. How aboiut “Jean Martin”? And the most common last name in Germany is Schultz. But I’ve heard that Germans use the name “Hans Meyer” the way Americans use “John Smith,” as shorthand for any random, average guy. Other than that… I KNOW NUSSING!!! ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/54 "2004-06-03T05:04:29Z")
> [@fruitbat](#): > > Vietnamese is easy, at least as far as last name. Nguyen is by far the most common last name in Vietnam, and has flummoxed American attempts to pronounce it for decades. For first name I would go with Dai, Dat or Phuoung. Yes, Nguyen (really Nguyễn) is the most common surname here, especially in the south. I don’t think there’s an obvious most popular first name for men though. To be totally literal about it, smith = tho ren (thợ rèn), and john = nha ve sinh (nhà vệ sinh) or toa let (tòa lét). 🙂 BTW, it’s Phuong (Phương), not Phuoung. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/55 "2004-06-03T06:58:46Z")
My father’s name is Carl Carlson. (His twin sister is Carol.) Our Carl(s)son ancestors originated in Denmark. In fact, there’s a town in our province called New Denmark, with a museum filled with the name Carl(s)son. Considering the naming conventions of long ago, my name is _very_ traditional. Christopher Carlson - i.e. Christopher, Son of Carl. My sister, way back when, would have been Xyz Carlsdatter - i.e. Xyz, Daughter of Carl. Anyhoo…[.](http://www.behindthename.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/56 "2004-06-03T07:19:36Z")
> [@gum](#): > > Originally posted by **Noone Special** Is it? I like it. Is it short for Daniël, or Daniëlle? 🙂 **Long** for Dan (the biblical tribe) - like Tim becomes Timmy and Jim becomes Jimmy, etc… Although many “Dani”-s **are** short for Daniel. The spelling is my way of making sure those d\*\*n foreigners (Americans :)) realize it’s **not** an American name - I hate when it’s pronounced with a short “a” (like “cat”). It’s a **long** “a” - more like “Duh;)-ni” Dani ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/57 "2004-06-03T07:31:29Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > Ireland: Apart from the already mentioned Paddy Murphy and Patrick O’Brien I would like to add John O’Connor. Surely that would be **Sean** O’Connor? ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/58 "2004-06-03T09:56:10Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > Surely that would be **Sean** O’Connor? If you are going for a higher “Irish factor”, sure. But there are more John O’Connors around than Seans, I think. Hoi **Gum**. Doing fine, thanks. How’s the old country? My point there was that “De Jong” is the most popular over all, but you won’t find many of them in the south much. As for “Hendrix/Hendriks”. We get both spellings and I’ve taken them as one name. I guess I was just going for my Jimi was of Limburg ancestry thing there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dorfl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@dorfl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorfl)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/59 "2004-06-03T15:01:42Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But I’ve heard that Germans use the name “Hans Meyer” the way Americans use “John Smith,” as shorthand for any random, average guy. When I was over there, it used to be Otto Normalverbraucher (based on some movie, I believe - anybody know the source). Normal = normal Verbraucher = consumer ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106/60 "2004-06-03T15:57:18Z")
What about generic business or corporate names? In the US, it’s usually "Acme (something-or-another), and the most common generic product is “widgets.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-the-john-smith-name-for-every-nationality/248106.md?page=4)