Politics & Government

The Most Common Voter Surname in the County?

Among Middlesex County voters, it's not Smith or Brown (although both made the list.) You'll be surprised.


What do you think the most common last name is among residents who vote in Middlesex County?

Smith? Brown? No - although both surnames were on the Top Ten list of the names you'd be most likely to find on voter rolls, they were far outstripped by surnames that show the changing demographics of Middlesex County.

The most ubiquitous last name on the county's voter registration rolls is Patel, according to Don Katz, Republican State Committeeman for Middlesex County who also serves as counsel to the Middlesex County Republican Organization.     

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Patel is a common Indian surname, especially among the large Indian populations of Edison and in the in Woodbridge. In the county, 7,869 voters have that as their last name, more than 3-1/2 times as many as have the scond most common last name - Shah, another name that has Asian and Indian roots. Among Middlesex County voters, there are 2,012 Shahs.

The third most popular surname is Rodriguez, of Hispanic origin. The Board of Elections says that last name belongs to 1,952 voters in the county.

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Smiths, Williamses, Johnsons, and Browns (the latter two almost tied at 1,291 and 1,290) made the list, too - next to Riveras and Lees.

Here's the Top Ten Voter Surnames list in Middlesex County:

Patel  7,869 Shah 2,102 Rodriguez 1,952 Smith 1,907 Williams 1,360 Johnson 1,291 Brown 1,290 Lee 1,236 Rivera 1,143 Miller 1,100

Katz said he learned of the list of common last names through the Middlesex County Board of Elections, with whom he conducts some business through his political dealings.

"It is interesting to note that almost 10,000 of the approximately 21,400 voters with the most common last name have a typical Indian name and a little over 3,000 have a typical Hispanic name," Katz said in a newsletter to the party organization.


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