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

Smarsh, 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 Smarsh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smarsh in America

Smarsh is the 55386th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smarsh surname appeared 371 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 Smarsh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smarsh 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 Smarsh

The surname Smarsh has its origins in England, arising in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "smær" meaning "grease" or "fat", and "hyrst" meaning a "wooded hill". This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a greasy or fatty wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Smarsh can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a Roger de Smerhuys is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the potential connection to a specific place name or location.

In the 13th century, the Smarsh surname appears in several tax records and land transactions across various counties in England, including Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. This indicates the name had spread across different regions by this time.

A notable early bearer of the Smarsh name was Sir William Smarsh, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. He was mentioned in chronicles of the time for his bravery in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

During the 16th century, the Smarsh family established itself in the county of Gloucestershire, where they owned land and properties. John Smarsh, born in 1532, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate.

The Smarsh surname also found its way to Scotland, with records showing a Robert Smarsh living in Edinburgh in the late 17th century. He was a successful merchant and trader who was involved in the export of wool and textiles.

In the 18th century, the Smarsh family continued to thrive in various parts of England. Notable individuals included Thomas Smarsh (1702-1778), a renowned clockmaker from London, and Elizabeth Smarsh (1745-1820), a noted botanist and naturalist from Oxfordshire.

As the centuries progressed, the Smarsh surname spread further across the British Isles and beyond, carried by individuals who emigrated to other parts of the world, including the Americas and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smarsh

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

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

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

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