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

Smallwood, 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 Smallwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smallwood in America

Smallwood is the 1926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smallwood surname appeared 18,717 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Smallwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smallwood 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 Smallwood

The surname Smallwood is an English surname that originated in the medieval period. It is a locational name, meaning it derived from a place name where the original bearers once lived or held land. In this case, the name refers to someone who lived near a small wood or forest.

The name is composed of two Old English words: "smæl" meaning small or little, and "wudu" meaning a wood or forest. It was common practice in medieval times for people to adopt surnames based on their place of residence, occupation, or a notable physical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Smallwood can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it is recorded as "Smalewod". This suggests that the name was already established by the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with similar names, such as "Smalewood" in Somerset and "Smallwood" in Cheshire. These may have been the original locations from which the surname derived.

Notable individuals with the surname Smallwood throughout history include:

1. William Smallwood (1732-1792), an American general who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
2. John Smallwood (c. 1634-1719), an English Quaker and early settler of Maryland, who was a prominent landowner and merchant.
3. Nathaniel Smallwood (1770-1838), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club in the early 19th century.
4. Charles Smallwood (1812-1873), an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
5. Phyllis Smallwood (1922-2008), a British botanist and plant collector who contributed significantly to the study of African flora.

The surname Smallwood can also be found in various place names, such as Smallwood in Cheshire, England, and Smallwood, Maryland, in the United States, which was likely named after the early Quaker settler, John Smallwood.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smallwood

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

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 Smallwood 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 Smallwood 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 Smallwood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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