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

Smathers, 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 Smathers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smathers in America

Smathers is the 14965th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smathers surname appeared 1,976 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Smathers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smathers 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 Smathers

The surname Smathers originates from England and dates back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "smetheres," which referred to blacksmiths or metalworkers. The name was likely adopted as an occupational surname by those who worked in this profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Smathers surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William le Smethiere is mentioned. This document was a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

In the late 14th century, the surname is found in various spellings, such as "Smyther," "Smythers," and "Smethers," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period.

The Smathers name has also been connected to certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Smethwick in the West Midlands, which may have influenced the spelling and usage of the surname in that region.

One notable figure with the Smathers surname was Sir John Smathers (c. 1480-1545), who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire during the reign of Henry VIII. He was also a wealthy landowner and held various positions in the local government.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Smathers (1605-1669), a English Puritan clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on the Covenant of Grace" and "The Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints."

In the 19th century, George Smathers (1819-1892) was a successful businessman and industrialist from Lancashire, England. He owned several textile mills and was known for his innovations in the manufacturing process.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Smathers surname in America was that of William Smathers, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1732. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the United States.

A notable American figure was George A. Smathers (1913-2007), a Democratic politician from Florida who served as a United States Senator from 1951 to 1969. He was also a prominent lawyer and played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smathers

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

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

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

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