Last names can reveal a great deal about where a person’s journey began, tracing back multiple generations. It’s one of the reasons people used to be very keen on having a male child to preserve the family name, therefore preserving the lineage. Until more recently, it was expected that nearly all female children would get married as young adults, adopting their husband’s surname.

While women still largely take their husband’s last name as their own, more women are choosing to keep their maiden names. Other women are choosing not to marry at all, avoiding the legal paperwork, and instead valuing domestic partnership. But even with slightly fewer women dropping their maiden names, MyHeritage, a global family history platform, notes that a list of surnames is near extinction. The revelation comes after the researchers for the platform reviewed the U.S. Census Bureau database.

Researchers were originally looking for last names that have surged in the U.S. and those that have declined. Their discovery was shocking. They found that five last names that were once popular are now on the threatened name list, while 10 surnames are on the endangered list, if such lists existed for last names. That’s 15 names in total that are dwindling so quickly that they may disappear within a few generations if there’s no intervention.

What names are on the list? While a few are German or Scottish, most of the names on the list are of English origin and may be surprising. We’re starting with the names most vulnerable to complete extinction first.

Endangered Surname List
Wooledge: Is down to just 90 people who carry that last name.
Tuffin: Has just 91 bearers of the last name according to the 2010 census.
Zillmann: According to MyHeritage, the surname is the Americanized version of the Dutch and German surname Tillmann, but America is down to 95 individuals who still carry the moniker.
American surnames; American last names; disappearing last names; keeping last names; smaller families; staying single

Ammen: Only 96 people in the U.S. still carry this surname.
Rugger: Is also barely hanging on with 96 people claiming this last name as their own.
Bevere: This name, possibly of Irish origin, is now down to 97 people still carrying it.
Blander: A name of German origin has gone down from 125 to 97 descendants who still possess the name.
Summerbell: For a name that sounds fit for a storybook, it’s sad that only 98 people in the U.S. call the name theirs.
Yess: This surname decreased from 123 on the 2000 census to just 99.
Bouchier: Likely derived from the French word for Butcher, according to MyHeritage, is down to 99.
American surnames; American last names; disappearing last names; keeping last names; smaller families; staying single
U.S. Census 2020 paperwork ready to be filled out.

Threatened Name List
Hall: There are still 407,076 people who carry this name.
Bell: Folks like the famous Kristen Bell are holding the line for this shrinking surname, with just 220,599 still claiming the name in America.
Ball: The last name Ball is getting close to entering endangered status, with just 66,059 people using the last name.
Small: Fell by 12.3% between the 2000 and 2010 census.
Walters: This seemingly common last name decreased by 14,905.
American surnames; American last names; disappearing last names; keeping last names; smaller families; staying single

So what is causing the decrease in surnames? According to Naama Lanski, Researcher at MyHeritage, “Surnames disappear due to a convergence of demographic, social, and historical factors: family lines dying out, high mortality from conflict or disease, societal practices like adopting a spouse’s name, and historical pressures such as assimilation or discrimination. Immigration and administrative errors also altered or erased names permanently.”

Lanski explains to Crowdstar that doing family research is imperative not only to keep surnames alive but also for understanding the history of our ancestors. 

“All this underscores the importance of family history research. Names carry the stories of our ancestors, and even when they vanish, MyHeritage empowers people to trace changes, uncover original surnames, and reconnect lost family lines, helping them preserve the identities, memories, and legacies of their families for future generations,” the researcher tells Upworthy. “Following this, we have noticed a trend where people are returning to bear the original surnames of their ancestors, which is a rather beautiful way of connecting to one’s roots.”