It's not surprising to find Smith and Johnson at the top of the list of most popular surnames in Colorado, but there's one name near the top you might not expect.

Assuming you could actually find a Grand Junction phone book, you would find a rather long list of people whose last name is Smith or Johnson and you wouldn't be surprised. In fact, Smith and Johnson are in the top three most popular names in all but nine states in the country.

Now, look at the "Ms," and find the name "Martinez." How many names did you find listed?

Believe it or not, Martinez is the third most popular surname in Colorado, according to Ancestry.com. As surprising as it is, Martinez is more popular in Colorado than names like Williams, Anderson, Miller, and Jones.

AmericanProgress.org says over 20% of Colorado's population is Latino, and estimates in the next 20 years, the Hispanic population will make up more than one-third of the state's population. Could other Latino surnames move into the top three in the coming years?

In some states, Hispanic names are dominant. In California, the three most popular names are Garcia, Hernandez, and Lopez. In New Mexico, the top three are Martinez, Garcia, and Chavez, and in Texas, the top three are Garcia, Smith, and Martinez.

The landscape of Colorado demographics is ever-changing and will continue to evolve in the coming years. We may be noticing that change in our local phone books - if there is such a thing as a phone book 20 years from now.

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