where does the last name johnston come from
Johnston (surname) The habitational surname originates in most cases from the place so called in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. This surname is derived from the genitive case of the given name John and tone or toun ("settlement" in Middle English; tun in Old English), literally meaning "John's town". There are several similar place names in Scotland, including the city of Perth, which was once known as St. John's Toun. This and other similarly named locations may also be sources for the surname Johnston.[1] Johnston is commonly traced back to Ireland, however it is believed the name and people migrated from Scotland[2].
Smith (surname) Smith is a surname[3] originating in England. It is the most prevalent surname in the United Kingdom,[1] Australia, New Zealand and the United States,[4] the second most common surname in Canada, and the fifth most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. The surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English, Scottish and Irish descent,[5] but is also a common surname among African Americans, which can be attributed to black slaves being given the surname during slavery and never changing the name upon the end of the era of slavery and after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.[6][dubious â€“ discuss] 2,376,206 Americans shared the surname Smith during the 2000 census,[7] and more than 500,000 people share it in the United Kingdom.[8] At the turn of the 20th century, the surname was sufficiently prevalent in England to have prompted the statement: "Common to every village in England, north, south, east and west";[9] and sufficiently common on the (European) continent (in various forms) to be "common in most countries of Europe".[10]