70+ Australian Last Names That Will Make You Want To See Sydney
Give your little “ankle biter” a name with Aussie roots.
Australia isn’t just the land of Bluey, Hugh Jackman, and the Hemsworth brothers, it’s also a stunning country that’s home to more than 25 million people. But it also has a complicated history. For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Australia were its sole caretakers, but in the late 18th century, the United Kingdom established the country as a penal colony for convicts from Great Britain. As a result, many common Australian last names are English, Scottish, and Irish in origin.
From the 18th century on, Australia became more and more Westernized. This in turn led to Aboriginal Australians becoming increasingly marginalized in their own country. Again, this is reflected in the list of the continent’s most common last names. Because the English either assigned the Aboriginal people surnames or simply referred to them by first names only in records, much of the culture was lost, at least in terms of documentation.
However, modern-day Australia is still a vibrant melting pot of cultures. In addition to the English settlers and Aboriginal people, the continent also has a large Asian Australian population consisting of people who trace their ancestry back to China, India, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. While Chinese people were already immigrating to Australia in the early 1800s, many Asian Australians can trace their ancestors’ arrival to the Victorian gold rushes, which occurred from the 1850s to the 1860s.
These days, Australia is a unique country where class systems are deemphasized in favor of a belief that everyone deserves a fair shot at having a good life. Part of this philosophy stems from the country’s history as a penal colony, but it’s also just a reflection of the Australian people themselves. At its heart, Australia is a place where multiculturalism is largely embraced, and that reality is reflected both in its changing demographics and in the most common Australian last names you’re likely to encounter if you visit the land down under.
Check out our list of some of the most popular last names, alongside their meanings and origins, that can be found across Australia below.
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Common Australian Last Names
1. Smith
Meaning: An English name referring to a blacksmith.
2. Jones
Meaning: An English or Welsh name meaning son of John.
3. Martin
Meaning: A French name referring to Mars, the Roman god of war.
4. Williams
Meaning: An English name meaning son of William.
5. Kelly
Meaning: An Irish name meaning descendent of Ceallach.
6. Johnson
Meaning: An English name meaning Son of John.
7. Kim
Meaning: A Korean name meaning gold or metal.
8. King
Meaning: An English name referring to a king or royalty.
9. Singh
Meaning: An Indian name meaning lion is Sanskrit.
10. White
Meaning: An English name referring to a person of fair hair or complexion.
11. Nguyen
Meaning: A Vietnamese name meaning musical instrument.
12. Kumar
Meaning: An Indian name meaning child or prince.
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13. Harris
Meaning: An English name meaning son of Harry.
14. Ryan
Meaning: An Irish name meaning descendant of Riaghan.
15. Patel
Meaning: An Indian name meaning village chief.
16. Lee
Meaning: A Chinese and Korean name meaning plum or plum tree.
17. Taylor
Meaning: An English occupational name for a tailor.
18. Sharma
Meaning: An Indian name stemming from the Sanskrit word for joy or happiness.
19. Thompson
Meaning: A Scottish surname meaning son of Thomas.
20. Walker
Meaning: An English occupational name for someone who presses or beats cloth.
21. Prasad
Meaning: An Indian name stemming from the Sanskrit word for favor or offering.
22. Brown
Meaning: An English name that means “the son of Brun.”
23. Campbell
Meaning: A Scottish name derived from the Gaelic roots cam (“crooked”) and beul (“mouth”).
24. Clark
Meaning: An English name that derived from the word “clerk.”
25. Cooper
Meaning: A Scottish name derived from the Cupar in Fife that is also tied to the profession of the same name.
26. Davis
Meaning: A Welsh name that means “son of David.”
27. Dixon
Meaning: An English name meaning “son of Richard.”
28. Doyle
Meaning: An Irish name meaning “descendant of Dubhghall,” which breaks down to dubh (“black”) and gall (“stranger”).
29. Dwyer
Meaning: An Irish name derived from the occupation of “the dyer.”
30. Edwards
Meaning: An English and Welsh name meaning “son of Edward.”
31. Evans
Meaning: A Welsh name meaning “son of Evan.”
32. Ferguson
Meaning: A Scottish name derived from the personal name Fergus, which means “angry one.”
33. Fisher
Meaning: An English occupational name.
34. Foster
Meaning: An English name rooted in the ancient occupation of the foster, also known as the person who was in charge of keeping up hunting grounds for monarchs and bishops.
35. Fraser
Meaning: A Scottish name related to the clan of Fraser.
36. Freeman
Meaning: An ancient name of Anglo-Saxon origin that means “free-born man.”
37. Gibson
Meaning: An English name meaning “the son of Gilbert.”
38. Gill
Meaning: A Scottish and English topographical name derived from the Old Norse world “gil,” which means ravine.
39. Graham
Meaning: An English and Scottish habitational name relating to Grantham in Lincolnshire, England.
40. Huang
Meaning: A Chinese name that translates to yellow.
41. Johnston
Meaning: An Old English name that literally translates to “John’s town.”
42. Lewis
Meaning: A German name meaning “renowned, famous battle.”
43. Mitchell
Meaning: An English name meaning “the son of Michael.”
44. Murphy
Meaning: A common Irish surname that derives from a Gaelic term meaning “descendant of sea warrior.”
45. Nelson
Meaning: An Irish name meaning “son of Nell.”
46. O’Brien
Meaning: An Irish name meaning descendant of Brian.
47. Payne
Meaning: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning “son of Pagan.”
48. Reynolds
Meaning: A French name meaning “son of Reynold.”
49. Roberts
Meaning: A Welsh name derived from Robert, meaning “bright renown.”
50. Scott
Meaning: A Scottish name that means someone from Scotland.
51. Shaw
Meaning: An English geographical name meaning from a residence by a small wood or shaw.
52. Turner
Meaning: A French occupational name for someone who worked with a lathe.
53. Wang
Meaning: A Chinese name meaning prince.
54. Xu
Meaning: A Chinese name that means “many.”
55. Zhang
Meaning: An ancient Chinese name meaning to “stretch open a bow.”
Australian Aboriginal Names
Australia has a long history, and before the British colonized it in 1788, it belonged to the Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Here are a few aboriginal names with rich meanings.
1. Minjarra
Meaning: This is the name of a bush plum tree that grows in Western Australia.
2. Birrani
Meaning: Boy.
3. Monaro
Meaning: High plateau or high plain.
4. Yarran
Meaning: Just.
5. Waru
Meaning: Fire.
6. Iluka
Meaning: “By the sea.”
7. Jiemba
Meaning: Laughing star.
8. Alinta
Meaning: Fire.
9. Alira
Meaning: References translucent gem quartz.
10. Jedda
Meaning: Wild goose.
11. Killara
Meaning: This name means permanent or always there. It’s also the name of a Sydney suburb.
12. Kirra
Meaning: Beautiful woman, to live, boomerang or dancing leaf.
13. Kylie
Meaning: Boomerang.
14. Lowanna
Meaning: Girl or woman
15. Maali
Meaning: Old tree.
16. Medika
Meaning: Blossom, flower, or native water lilies.
17. Yindi
Meaning: Mother or sun.
What Is Another Name for Australia?
Speaking of names, did you know Australia has several? Australia is one of the most unique places in the world, and on top of having the strangest creatures, it has a quirky naming history too. This continent has more than one name. Some include “Oz” and “The Land Down Under,” which is also called Down Under. Australia is also known by other aliases like “The Great Southern Land,” “The Lucky Country,” and “The Sunburnt Country.”
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