Changing Your Last Name on Your Social Security Card: A Complete Guide

Changing your last name on your Social Security Card can be a necessary step after getting married, divorced, or legally changing your name. This guide will provide you with detailed information on the process and required documents. It will also include a list of names and their meanings to help you choose a new last name that resonates with you.
1. **Anderson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Andrew" (from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly," "strong").
2. **Abernathy:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hill of the abbots" (from the Old English words "æbbe" meaning "abbot" and "dene" meaning "valley").
3. **Adams:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Adam" (from the Hebrew name Adam, meaning "man").
4. **Albright:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "bright one" (from the Old English words "al" meaning "all" and "beorht" meaning "bright").
5. **Allen:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "handsome" (from the Old English word "ællen" meaning "all").
6. **Alonso:** A Spanish surname meaning "from Alonso" (from the Germanic name "Adalwin" meaning "noble friend").
7. **Andrews:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Andrew" (from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly," "strong").
8. **Armstrong:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "strong arm" (from the Old English words "arm" meaning "arm" and "streng" meaning "strong").
9. **Arnold:** A surname of Germanic origin, meaning "eagle power" (from the Old English words "arn" meaning "eagle" and "wald" meaning "power").
10. **Baker:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who bakes bread" (from the Old English word "bācere").
11. **Bell:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who makes bells" (from the Old English word "belle").
12. **Bennett:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the small hill" (from the Old English words "beann" meaning "bean" and "hēafod" meaning "head").
13. **Black:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "dark-haired" or "dark-skinned" (from the Old English word "blæc").
14. **Blair:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the plain" (from the Old English word "blār").
15. **Blake:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "black" or "dark-haired" (from the Old English word "blæc").
16. **Brown:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "dark-haired" or "brown-skinned" (from the Old English word "brūn").
17. **Butler:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who serves wine" (from the Old French word "bouteillier").
18. **Campbell:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "crooked field" (from the Scottish Gaelic words "cam" meaning "crooked" and "bàigh" meaning "field").
19. **Carter:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who transports goods by cart" (from the Old English word "cart").
20. **Castillo:** A Spanish surname meaning "castle" (from the Latin word "castellum").
21. **Chapman:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who buys and sells goods" (from the Old English words "ceap" meaning "trade" and "mann" meaning "man").
22. **Clark:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "scribe" or "clerk" (from the Old English word "clerc").
23. **Collins:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Colin" (from the Latin name "Columba" meaning "dove").
24. **Cooper:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who makes barrels" (from the Old French word "copers").
25. **Crawford:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the ford by the croft" (from the Old English words "croft" meaning "small field" and "ford" meaning "shallow crossing").
26. **Davis:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of David" (from the Hebrew name David, meaning "beloved").
27. **Diaz:** A Spanish surname meaning "day" (from the Latin word "dies").
28. **Dixon:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "son of Dick" (from the Old English word "dic" meaning "ditch").
29. **Edwards:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Edward" (from the Old English name Eadweard, meaning "wealthy guardian").
30. **Evans:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Evan" (from the Welsh name Ifan, meaning "God is gracious").
31. **Fernandez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Fernando" (from the Germanic name "Ferdinand" meaning "peaceful journey").
32. **Fisher:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who catches fish" (from the Old English word "fīscere").
33. **Flores:** A Spanish surname meaning "flowers" (from the Latin word "flos").
34. **Foster:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who cares for children" (from the Old English word "fostre").
35. **Fox:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "one who is cunning" or "one who is sly" (from the Old English word "fox").
36. **Garcia:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of García" (from the Germanic name "Gerhard" meaning "strong spear").
37. **Gardner:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who tends a garden" (from the Old English word "gardener").
38. **Giles:** A surname of origin meaning "young goat" (from the Greek name Aegidius, meaning "young goat").
39. **Gonzalez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Gonzalo" (from the Germanic name "Gunthram" meaning "battle-warrior").
40. **Graham:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the gravelly place" (from the Old English words "græf" meaning "gravel" and "hām" meaning "home").
41. **Gray:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "gray-haired" or "gray-skinned" (from the Old English word "græg").
42. **Green:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "green" or "living in a green place" (from the Old English word "grēne").
43. **Hall:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hall" (from the Old English word "hāl").
44. **Hamilton:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the dwelling of the Hamiltons" (from the Old English words "hām" meaning "home" and "tūn" meaning "enclosure").
45. **Harris:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Harry" (from the Germanic name "Heinrich" meaning "ruler of the home").
46. **Harrison:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "son of Harry" (from the Old English words "hār" meaning "gray" and "sunu" meaning "son").
47. **Harvey:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hard meadow" (from the Old English words "heard" meaning "hard" and "fēa" meaning "meadow").
48. **Hawkins:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Hawk" (from the Old English word "hafoc").
49. **Hayes:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the enclosure by the hedge" (from the Old English words "hæg" meaning "hedge" and "hēafod" meaning "head").
50. **Henderson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Henry" (from the Germanic name "Heinrich" meaning "ruler of the home").
51. **Hernandez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Hernando" (from the Germanic name "Ferdinand" meaning "peaceful journey").
52. **Hill:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hill" (from the Old English word "hyll").
53. **Hodges:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Hugh" (from the Germanic name "Hugo" meaning "mind").
54. **Hoffman:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "farm worker" or "one who lives on a farm" (from the German words "hof" meaning "farm" and "mann" meaning "man").
55. **Holmes:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the holly grove" (from the Old English words "hōl" meaning "hollow" and "mōr" meaning "moor").
56. **Howard:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hill by the wood" (from the Old English words "hōh" meaning "hill" and "wudu" meaning "wood").
57. **Hughes:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Hugh" (from the Germanic name "Hugo" meaning "mind").
58. **Hunter:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who hunts" (from the Old English word "huntere").
59. **Jackson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Jack" (from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning "supplanter").
60. **James:** A surname of origin meaning "supplanter" (from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning "supplanter").
61. **Jenkins:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of John" (from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious").
62. **Johnson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of John" (from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious").
63. **Jones:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of John" (from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious").
64. **Jordan:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the Jordan River" (from the Hebrew word "Yarden").
65. **Kelly:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the woodland" (from the Irish word "ceallach").
66. **Kennedy:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the head of the wood" (from the Gaelic words "ceann" meaning "head" and "fidh" meaning "wood").
67. **King:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who rules" (from the Old English word "cyning").
68. **Knight:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "warrior" or "nobleman" (from the Old English word "cniht").
69. **Lawrence:** A surname of origin meaning "from the laurel grove" (from the Latin word "laurus").
70. **Lee:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the clearing in the wood" (from the Old English word "lēah").
71. **Lewis:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "famous warrior" (from the Welsh name "Llewellyn").
72. **Lopez:** A Spanish surname meaning "wolf" (from the Latin word "lupus").
73. **Martin:** A surname of origin meaning "war god" (from the Latin name "Mars").
74. **Martinez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Martin" (from the Latin name "Mars").
75. **Matthews:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Matthew" (from the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh").
76. **May:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the field by the hill" (from the Old English words "mæg" meaning "field" and "hēafod" meaning "head").
77. **McCarthy:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Carthaigh" (from the Irish name "Carthaigh" meaning "love").
78. **McDonald:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Donald" (from the Scottish Gaelic name "Domhnall" meaning "world ruler").
79. **McGregor:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Gregor" (from the Greek name "Gregorius" meaning "watchful").
80. **Miller:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who grinds grain" (from the Old English word "milnere").
81. **Mitchell:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Michael" (from the Hebrew name Micha'el, meaning "who is like God?").
82. **Moore:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the moor" (from the Old English word "mōr").
83. **Morgan:** A surname of origin meaning "sea defender" (from the Welsh name "Morgan" meaning "sea defender").
84. **Morris:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "dark-skinned" (from the Old English word "mōr").
85. **Murphy:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "sea warrior" (from the Irish word "muirbheartach").
86. **Nelson:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the valley of the river" (from the Old English words "nēah" meaning "near" and "sǣ" meaning "sea").
87. **Newton:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the new town" (from the Old English words "niwe" meaning "new" and "tūn" meaning "enclosure").
88. **Nichols:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Nicholas" (from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people").
89. **Norman:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from Normandy" (from the Old Norse words "norðr" meaning "north" and "mann" meaning "man").
90. **O'Brien:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "descendant of Brian" (from the Irish name "Brian" meaning "strong").
91. **Oliver:** A surname of origin meaning "olive tree" (from the Latin word "oliva").
92. **Owen:** A surname of origin meaning "noble" or "well-born" (from the Welsh name "Owain").
93. **Parker:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who keeps a park" (from the Old English word "parcher").
94. **Patterson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Patrick" (from the Latin name "Patricius" meaning "nobleman").
95. **Perez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Pedro" (from the Latin name "Petrus" meaning "rock").
96. **Phillips:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Philip" (from the Greek name Philippos, meaning "lover of horses").
97. **Powell:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the hill near the pool" (from the Old English words "pūl" meaning "pool" and "hēafod" meaning "head").
98. **Price:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who sells goods at a fixed price" (from the Old English word "prīce").
99. **Quinn:** A surname of origin meaning "descendant of Conn" (from the Irish name "Conn" meaning "leader" or "wise one").
100. **Ramos:** A Spanish surname meaning "branches" (from the Latin word "ramus").
101. **Reed:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "one who lives near reeds" (from the Old English word "rīd").
102. **Reyes:** A Spanish surname meaning "kings" (from the Latin word "rex").
103. **Richardson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Richard" (from the Germanic name "Rihc-hard" meaning "powerful ruler").
104. **Rivera:** A Spanish surname meaning "riverbank" (from the Latin word "ripa").
105. **Roberts:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Robert" (from the Germanic name "Hrodebert" meaning "bright fame").
106. **Robinson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Robin" (from the Old English word "rūbin").
107. **Rodriguez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Rodrigo" (from the Germanic name "Roderich" meaning "famous ruler").
108. **Rogers:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Roger" (from the Germanic name "Hrodgar" meaning "spear glory").
109. **Ross:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the headland" (from the Scottish Gaelic word "ros").
110. **Russell:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the red hill" (from the Old English words "read" meaning "red" and "hēafod" meaning "head").
111. **Ryan:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the king's ford" (from the Irish words "rí" meaning "king" and "báth" meaning "ford").
112. **Sanchez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Sancho" (from the Germanic name "Sanko" meaning "sacred").
113. **Sanders:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Alexander" (from the Greek name Alexandros, meaning "defender of mankind").
114. **Scott:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the Scottish border" (from the Old English word "scūt").
115. **Shaw:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the meadow" (from the Old English word "scēa").
116. **Shepherd:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who tends sheep" (from the Old English word "scēaphierde").
117. **Simmons:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Simon" (from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning "hearing").
118. **Smith:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who works with metal" (from the Old English word "smiþ").
119. **Snider:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who makes shoes" (from the German word "Schneider").
120. **Snyder:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who makes shoes" (from the German word "Schneider").
121. **Soto:** A Spanish surname meaning "underwood" (from the Latin word "subtus").
122. **Spencer:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who manages a steward" (from the Old English word "spēncere").
123. **Stevens:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Stephen" (from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown").
124. **Stewart:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who manages a steward" (from the Old English word "stēward").
125. **Stone:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "one who lives near a stone" (from the Old English word "stān").
126. **Strong:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "powerful" (from the Old English word "streng").
127. **Sullivan:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "blacksmith" (from the Irish word "suibhne").
128. **Taylor:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who cuts cloth" (from the Old English word "tailor").
129. **Thomas:** A surname of origin meaning "twin" (from the Aramaic name "T'oma").
130. **Thompson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Thomas" (from the Aramaic name "T'oma").
131. **Thornton:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the thorn bush" (from the Old English words "þorn" meaning "thorn" and "tūn" meaning "enclosure").
132. **Turner:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who turns wood" (from the Old English word "turnere").
133. **Vargas:** A Spanish surname meaning "man from Vargas" (from the Basque word "Bargas").
134. **Vasquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Vasco" (from the Basque word "Basque").
135. **Vega:** A Spanish surname meaning "meadow" (from the Latin word "vega").
136. **Velasquez:** A Spanish surname meaning "son of Velasco" (from the Spanish word "velasco" meaning "old").
137. **Villarreal:** A Spanish surname meaning "from the royal village" (from the Spanish words "villa" meaning "village" and "real" meaning "royal").
138. **Walker:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who walks" (from the Old English word "walcere").
139. **Wallace:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the Welsh forest" (from the Old English words "wealh" meaning "foreign" and "wud" meaning "wood").
140. **Walter:** A surname of origin meaning "powerful ruler" (from the Germanic name "Wald-heri" meaning "powerful ruler").
141. **Ward:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who guards" (from the Old English word "weard").
142. **Washington:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the dwelling place of the Washes" (from the Old English words "wæsc" meaning "wash" and "tūn" meaning "enclosure").
143. **Watson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of Walter" (from the Germanic name "Wald-heri" meaning "powerful ruler").
144. **Weaver:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who weaves cloth" (from the Old English word "wevere").
145. **Webb:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who weaves cloth" (from the Old English word "wevere").
146. **Wells:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the well" (from the Old English word "well").
147. **West:** A surname of locational origin, meaning "from the west" (from the Old English word "west").
148. **White:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "light-haired" or "light-skinned" (from the Old English word "hwīt").
149. **Williams:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of William" (from the Germanic name "Wilhelm" meaning "resolute protection").
150. **Wilson:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "son of William" (from the Germanic name "Wilhelm" meaning "resolute protection").
151. **Wright:** A surname of occupational origin, meaning "one who works with wood" (from the Old English word "wrihte").
152. **Young:** A surname of descriptive origin, meaning "young" (from the Old English word "geong").