2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Naysmith
An occupational surname referring to a blacksmith or nail maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Naysmith. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naysmith surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Naysmith with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Naysmith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naysmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naysmith
The surname NAYSMITH has its origins in England, specifically in the northern regions around Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th or 14th century as an occupational surname, derived from the Old English words "naeg" or "nag" meaning a small horse or pony, and "smid" meaning a smith or metalworker. This suggests that the original bearers of this name were likely involved in the trade of shoeing horses or working with metal tools related to horses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NAYSMITH surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Naysmyth is listed as a resident of Coverham. The name also appears in various parish records and manorial rolls from the 15th and 16th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Naysmythe, Nasmyth, and Naesmyth.
During the 16th century, the NAYSMITH surname spread to other parts of England, including Staffordshire and Cheshire. Notable individuals bearing this name from this period include Richard Naysmith (1550-1622), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Staffordshire, and John Naysmith (1572-1638), a clergyman who served as the Vicar of Audlem in Cheshire.
In the 17th century, the NAYSMITH surname found its way to Scotland, where it became particularly associated with the city of Edinburgh. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Michael Naysmith (1655-1718), a renowned Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Canongate Church and the Canongate Tolbooth.
As the NAYSMITH surname continued to spread throughout the British Isles, it also gave rise to various localized variants and related surnames. For example, in the northern counties of England, the name evolved into forms such as Naesmyth and Naesmith, while in Scotland, it became more commonly spelled as Naesmyth or Nasmyth. One notable individual from this Scottish branch was James Nasmyth (1808-1890), a renowned engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of the steam hammer and other industrial machinery.
Other notable individuals with the NAYSMITH surname throughout history include Sir David Naysmith (1652-1725), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland; William Naysmith (1786-1858), an English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London; and John Naysmith (1813-1884), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naysmith
Among Census respondents with the surname Naysmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Naysmith bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Naysmith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naysmith
Naysmith appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,012 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 14,012 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Naysmith surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naysmith bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Naysmith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naysmith?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Naysmith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Naysmith?
Naysmith ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Naysmith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Naysmith.
Has Naysmith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naysmith went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Naysmith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naysmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and Black (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Naysmith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naysmith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%), Black (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Naysmith (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Naysmith mean?
An occupational surname referring to a blacksmith or nail maker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Naysmith (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Naysmith?
Want to know how many people have the surname Naysmith? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.