2000
#3,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,897
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.04
Uncommon Last name
Smalls
Derived from the Middle English term "smal," referring to a person of small stature or a younger sibling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,690 Americans carry the last name Smalls. That puts it at #2,952 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smalls 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 Smalls with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,037
Census rank
#2,952
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,938 bearers of the surname Smalls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2952nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smalls, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smalls
The surname SMALLS is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a descriptive nickname given to someone of small stature or diminutive size. The name likely derives from the Old English word 'smæl,' meaning 'thin' or 'slender.'
In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries of people with the surname SMALLS or variations such as Smal and Smale. These early records suggest that the name was already well-established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SMALLS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a man named Robert Smale. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1207, where a Henry Smale is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the surname SMALLS appears in various locations across England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a John le Smale. The use of the prefix 'le' before the surname was a common practice at the time, indicating the individual's personal name or descriptive characteristic.
During the medieval period, several notable individuals bore the surname SMALLS. One example is John Smalle, a member of Parliament for Northampton in 1382. Another is William Smalle, who served as the Mayor of Norwich in 1456.
In the 16th century, the surname SMALLS continued to be prevalent in England. One notable figure was Sir Robert Smalls (c. 1500-1580), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1555.
In later centuries, the SMALLS surname spread to other parts of the English-speaking world, including North America and the British colonies. One prominent individual was Robert Smalls (1839-1915), an African American slave who famously commandeered a Confederate ship during the American Civil War and later became a politician and businessman.
Other notable individuals with the surname SMALLS include David Smalls (1937-2015), an American actor and comedian, and Mike Smalls (born 1966), a former professional basketball player from the United States. Additionally, there have been several members of the SMALLS family who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smalls
Among Census respondents with the surname Smalls, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Smalls 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 Smalls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American87.2% · 10,411
- Two or more races4.8% · 570
- White3.8% · 459
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 404
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smalls
Smalls 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
#2,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,435
+1,538 bearers (+14.1%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Up 161 places
2020
#2,952
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,938
-497 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,049 | 10,897 | 4.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,888 | 12,435 | 4.22 | +1,538 bearers (+14.1%) | Up 161 places |
| 2020 | #2,952 | 11,938 | 3.99 | -497 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 64 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 Smalls 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 | #2,888 | #2,952 | -2.2% |
| Count | 12,435 | 11,938 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.22 | 3.99 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smalls bearers went from 12,435 to 11,938 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,888 to #2,952.
FAQ
Smalls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smalls?
Name Census estimates that about 13,690 living Americans carry the surname Smalls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,037 residents.
How common is Smalls?
Smalls ranks #2,952 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,938 people with the surname Smalls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,690), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Smalls.
Has Smalls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smalls went from 12,435 recorded bearers to 11,938. That is a decrease of 497 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,888 to #2,952.
What does the Census say about the background of Smalls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smalls, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Smalls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (10,411 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smalls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (87.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%), White (3.8%). 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 Smalls (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 Smalls mean?
Derived from the Middle English term "smal," referring to a person of small stature or a younger sibling. 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 Smalls (3.99 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 have the surname Smalls?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.