Do you have any common surnames where you live?

Yes, I've noticed that, too. That happens because certain ethnic groups tended to settle together in the same communities. For instance, I'm guessing you live in or near Louisiana, which was colonized by the French; thus, you have a lot of French surnames. In certain parts of Boston and Chicago, where many Irish immigrants wound up, you'll find a lot of McGuires, O'Learys and Sullivans. Scandinavians tended to head toward the upper midwest, where names like Anderson, Olson and Erikson are common.

Here's an interesting map that shows the most common surnames in different parts of the country:

http://io9.com/interactive-map-reveals-the-most-co...

Surnames reflect the original settlers of an area. Cajun names come from the Acadians who were expelled from Canada & sent to French Colonies in what is now USA.

Here is the 1686 census of Acadia & I'm sure you will find some names you know.

http://www.acadian-cajun.com/1686cens.htm

Many other French names in the USA & Canada come from Fur traders who left Quebec to hunt & collect furs for one of the Trading Companies. Many of them settled far from home. On this page there is a link to finding early French settlers in Quebec.

http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/en/lesPionniers...

( the link is in the section "AND YOUR ANCESTOR" - click on 'a family name")

Obviously even though these families do not consider themselves to be related, many of them do share a common ancestor and are actually very distant cousins.

I live in Beaumont, about 30 to the border (Louisiana border that is) and 57 miles to Lake Charles, We have lots of French names around here and typical WASP names. In the past 30 to 40 years the Spanish names have increased.

We also have a significant number of Italians.

There are tons of people in California and Texas with the surnames; Rodriguez, Garcia, Hernandez, Alvarez, Martinez, Lopez, Marcielo etc.

My first was the same as my last name--Yang yang

A:

艾--Ai

安--Ann/An

敖--Ao

B:

å·´--Pa

白--Pai

包/鲍--Paul/Pao

班--Pan

贝--Pei

毕--Pih

卞--Bein

卜/薄--Po/Pu

æ­¥--Poo

百里--Pai-li

C:

蔡/柴--Tsia/Choi/Tsai

曹/晁/巢--Chao/Chiao/Tsao

岑--Cheng

崔--Tsui

查--Cha

常--Chiong

车--Che

and so on........