Top 25 most common surnames in Utah. Where does your family name rank?

According to Forbears the name Smith is an occupational surname.  Like a blacksmith or wordsmith.  They have a bunch of other cool name info.  Have a look.

Johnson has cool heritage and it's derived from an ancestor.  Son of John became Johnson.

Originally Son of Andrew was Andrewson but that was shortened to Anderson

Jensen is Scandinavian.  Jan's or Johan's Son became Jensen.

Also Scandinavian and comes from a combination of Christen and the gender of the child.  Sen = Son and Datter = Daughter.

Jones is a patronymic surname meaning son of John or Johan or Jone.  In the 13th and 14th century Johan stood for both Johannes and Johanna.  The masculine became John and the feminine was Joan.

Brown is derived from the ancestor Brun.  Son of Brun which later became Brownson and then shortened to Brown or the German Bruno.  Brown is the 6th most common name in England and Wales.

Scandinavian surname meaning the Son of Hans.

Peterson is Danish = Son of Peder.  Common Danish tradition of naming the children after the given name of the parents.  This would only last one generations so that Soren Christiansen's son could be Peder Sorensen who's son would be named Christian Pedersen.

Davies ranks #5 in England and Wales.  The e was dropped giving us the more common Davis we know today.

Another name derived from an occupation.  The French tailleur or "cutter of cloth".

Derived from the name of an ancestor, 'Son of Eleanor' from Nick.  Neil.  Son of Neil = Neil-son which became Nelson.

Another patronymic surname derived from the forename William.  William's = Williams.

Miller = One who grinds corn, a milner.

Scandinavian and like the others, Son of Lars became Larsen.

Son of William became Wilson.  As did Jackson, Robinson, Dickson or Dixon.

Derived from Clerk or clergyman.  A clerk in holy orders.  Middle English clerk, a priest.

Son of Thome or Thomas.

Somehow Allen is derived from Son of Alan.

Martinez comes from the name Martin derived from the Latin Martinus whose root is Mars, the name of the Roman god of fertility and war.

Scandinavian = Son of Ole/Ola

Thomas or Thome (Tom).  Big in the 13th and 14th century.  Tomlin, Tomlinson, Thomas, Thompson, Tomkins, Tomkinson, Tombs and more.

Came from a nickname.  Applied to a sense of junior to distinguish the father and son with the same name.

Also comes from an occupation.  The "wright" or skilled workman of various materials.

Son of Adam.

The Forebears site goes on to show the origin of over 1,000 surnames.  You may want to have a look at their full list to see where your name comes from.