The Most Common Last Name in Maine Feels Pretty Obvious

Having originally come from Pennsylvania, I couldn't help but notice that not many folks shared the name Snyder here in Maine.

Back in Pennsylvania, Snyders seemed to be everywhere. It's fascinating how when you move to a new state, you definitely notice a pattern in last names.

For example, here in Maine, where the population is predominantly of Canadian-French descent, you come across a variety of those types of names. Michaud, Pelletier, Nadeau, Boucher, Daigle, Roy, ect.

That's just a list of people's last names belonging to people that I have met.

However, the most common last name in Maine is not of French-Canadian descent.

Check out the most common names in Maine below and see if you could guess No. 1

The No. 1 common last name is Smith, and according to Find my Past, Smith comes from the Anglo-Saxon period. The website states that this last name's roots come from the Old English 'Smid' which means "hit" or "strike" and was a term used to identify people who worked with metal, such as blacksmiths.

According to Data Commons, 1.37 million people live in Maine, and out of those, just under 17,000 are Smiths. 

You know what's surprising?

The French-Canadian names are further down the list! I've lost count of how many Michauds and Pelletiers I've crossed paths with here in Maine.

Strangely enough, in my three decades of living here, I can't remember ever meeting a Smith.