#15: Same Last Name, No Relation
Countries differ with their use of surnames, or in the case of Americans, their last names. There are many common last names in America, such as Smith or Johnson. However, are all these families related? Some may be, but you’d be surprised to find out that there’s a disproportionate amount that isn’t related.
Yes, there are many of the same last names circulating around America. Last names spread through marriage, while others come from different countries. Back when people from other countries started to immigrate to America, some last names were changed by people’s discretions at the coastline or shortened to sound less like a mouthful.