'Singh' becomes the new 'Smith': Most popular surname for newborns in Victoria

25 years ago, the majority of children born in Victoria carried surnames like Smith, Nguyen, Williams, Jones, or Brown. However, according to the 2024 data from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, Singh now tops the list of most common surnames, with Kaur coming in at third. Other South Asian names like Patel, Sharma, Ali, Gill, and Sandhu have also entered the top 20. How did this shift happen? Find out in this explainer.

A representation of children from multicultural backgrounds. Credit: Pexels: Rohan Muzafar, Soldier Vip, Hardeep Singh, Kelvin Octa, Hotaru.

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'Singh' becomes the new 'Smith': Most popular surname for newborns in Victoria

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