Map of Most Common Last Names In Every Country

Map: Source via Digg via Netcredit

Netcredit put together an Onomastics (which is the linguist study of names) map of the most popular last name in each country in the world.  

From the article on Netcredit:

"According to legend, surnames were first used in China in 2852 BC to aid the collection of census information.[3] 

 In Western Europe, the use of surnames became more common in the Middle Ages. The continent’s population grew larger, creating a greater need for last names to tell people apart.[4]

In general, the etymologies of surnames fall into five different categories: occupational, personal description, toponymic (from a place name), patronymic (from the name of a father or ancestor) and names signifying patronage.[5]"

The article further indicated that Smith the most common name in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.  Wang is the most common in China and most common in the world.

For a closeup by continent of each country, visit the article on Netcredit.