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

Smart, 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 Smart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smart in America

Smart is the 1388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smart surname appeared 25,528 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Smart.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smart 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 Smart

The surname SMART is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word 'smert' meaning 'smart' or 'clever'. It first appeared in the late 12th century and was likely used as a nickname for someone considered intelligent or quick-witted.

The earliest known record of the SMART surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a certain William Smert is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are entries for a Robert Smert in Oxfordshire and a William Smert in Cambridgeshire.

The SMART surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Smerton in Wiltshire and Smeeton in Leicestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the SMART surname was Robert Smart, a Scottish minister and theologian who lived from 1554 to 1628. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow.

Another historical figure was Sir George Thomas Smart, an English musician and composer born in 1776. He was the conductor of the Philharmonic Society of London and played a significant role in promoting the works of Beethoven in England.

In the 19th century, John Smart, an English artist and engraver, gained recognition for his landscape paintings and prints. He was born in 1838 and is known for his depictions of rural scenes in England.

One of the most famous individuals with the SMART surname was Christopher Smart, an English poet and writer born in 1722. His works include the celebrated poem "A Song to David" and the satire "The Hilliad".

In the field of science, William Smart, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer born in 1853, made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the theory of planetary motion.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the SMART surname. While the name has its origins in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world and continues to be a prominent surname in many countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smart

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

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

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

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