10 Most Common Last Names in South Dakota and What They Mean

Humans have been giving each other names for as far back in history as we can go. We've always created groups of sounds to tell each other apart.

Having a last name, or a family name, is a relatively recent invention. Well, like within the last 1500 years-ish, recent.

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Last names, or surnames, in the European tradition started to come into common usage as references to jobs like Frank the Miller. Others, especially ones that end in '-son', were created from the father's name, like John's son. Others come from place names like Peggy from the Hill.

Immigration and South Dakota’s Surnames

When Europeans immigrated to South Dakota in the 1800s, they brought those old last names and traditions with them.

Today, the most common last names in South Dakota are pretty familiar in most of the United States. We have lots of Johnsons and Smiths. But, also names like Olsen that are common here are less so elsewhere.

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Johnson - The most common last name in South Dakota. It comes from medieval Britain, likely by way of immigrants from northern Europe. It means John's son.

Anderson - Like Johnson, Anderson denoted that someone is a son of someone, in this case, it's Andrew. This name also has origins in the British Isles by way of northern Europe.

Nelson - If you're seeing a pattern here, you're right. The third most common name in South Dakota can also be traced back to Britain and northern Europe. Nelson comes from Neil's son.

Smith - The most common last name in the English-speaking world. It comes to us from English, Scottish, and Irish descent. It is a job name derived from Old English words that meant someone who works with metal, AKA a blacksmith. These types of jobs were often handed down from father to son. Bob the blacksmith eventually became Bob Smith.

Olson - Olson is a common last name in South Dakota, but less so in the rest of North America. That's because Olson is a very Scandinavian name brought to South Dakota by 19th-century immigrants from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. It continues the tradition of last names derived from the father's name, in this case, Olaf's son.

Miller - Another name of English, German, Irish, or Scottish origin that is also occupational in nature. Miller most likely comes from the guy who ran the mill. That's where folks would grind grain into flour and such.

Peterson - Again, a name from the English/Scandinavian tradition that comes from dad's name, Peter's son.

Larson - Another common name in the Upper Midwest, Larson comes from the Scandinavian tradition meaning Lar's son.

Jensen - The Northern European influence on South Dakota continues with this name, which originates from Denmark and Norway. It comes from Jens' son, with Jens being a Scandinavian form of the name John.

Hanson - Rounding out our top ten most common names in South Dakota list is one more name of Germanic and Scandinavian origin, and you guessed it, it means son of Hans.