Find out how popular the last name Silversmith is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Silversmith.

Silversmith, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Silversmith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silversmith in America

Silversmith is the 29447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silversmith surname appeared 802 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Silversmith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silversmith to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Silversmith

The surname Silversmith is an English occupational surname that originated in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English words 'seolfor' meaning silver and 'smið' meaning smith or metalworker. The name refers to an ancestor who worked as a silversmith, crafting objects from silver.

The earliest known recorded example of the surname Silversmith dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John le Selversmyth residing in that county. Other early spellings include Selversmyth, Selversmythe, and Sylversmyth.

During the 14th century, the Silversmith surname appeared in various records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William le Selversmyth was listed. In the Poll Tax returns of 1379, a John Selversmyth was recorded in Cambridgeshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Silversmith throughout history include Sir John Silversmith, a prominent merchant and alderman in London during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. Another was William Silversmith (1530-1619), a renowned silversmith and engraver from York, whose works are still preserved in various museums.

In the 17th century, Thomas Silversmith (1602-1673) was a successful goldsmith and banker in London, who served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. His son, also named Thomas Silversmith (1635-1702), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent silversmith and engraver.

During the 18th century, the Silversmith surname was associated with several notable figures, including Samuel Silversmith (1712-1781), a renowned silversmith and engraver from Birmingham, whose works were highly prized by collectors. Additionally, John Silversmith (1740-1819) was a respected clockmaker and silversmith from London, recognized for his intricate and ornate creations.

The Silversmith name has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Silversmith's Green in Hertfordshire and Silversmith's Lane in London, which likely derived from areas where silversmiths resided or had their workshops.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silversmith

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Silversmith.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Silversmith was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Silversmith has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Silversmith was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Silversmith, please contact us.

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