2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smartnick
A surname suggesting an intelligent or witty person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Smartnick. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smartnick 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Smartnick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smartnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smartnick
The surname SMARTNICK has its origins in the northern regions of England, dating back to the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "smeart" meaning lively or quick-witted, and "nic" which was a diminutive form of the name Nicholas. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was considered to be intelligent or sharp-witted.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Smertenoc is listed as holding lands in the county of Yorkshire. This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Richard Smartnick was recorded as a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of York. He is mentioned in various historical documents and records from that period, indicating the significance and influence of his family at the time.
During the 15th century, the name appears in several church records and parish registers in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. Notable individuals include John Smartnick (born 1412) and William Smartnick (1435-1498), both of whom were respected members of their local communities.
In the 16th century, the Smartnick family expanded their presence to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Lancashire and Lincolnshire. One notable figure was Thomas Smartnick (1567-1625), a scholar and author who wrote extensively on topics related to theology and philosophy.
Moving into the 17th century, the Smartnick name gained further prominence with the birth of Sir Robert Smartnick (1623-1691), a renowned military commander who served under Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. His contributions to the Parliamentarian cause were widely recognized and documented in historical accounts of the time.
Throughout the following centuries, the Smartnick surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with individuals from this lineage making their mark in various fields, including academia, business, and the arts. While the name may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smartnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Smartnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Smartnick 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 Smartnick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 103
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smartnick
Smartnick 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,887 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,887 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Smartnick 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smartnick bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Smartnick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smartnick?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Smartnick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Smartnick?
Smartnick ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Smartnick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Smartnick.
Has Smartnick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smartnick went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Smartnick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smartnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Smartnick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smartnick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Smartnick (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 Smartnick mean?
A surname suggesting an intelligent or witty person. 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 Smartnick (0.04 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 share the surname Smartnick?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.