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

Smayda, 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 Smayda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smayda in America

Smayda is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smayda surname appeared 100 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 Smayda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smayda 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 Smayda

The surname Smayda is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, specifically in present-day Poland and Ukraine. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century, deriving from an old Slavic word "smayda," which referred to a person who produced or worked with charcoal or tar. This connection suggests that the name may have initially identified families involved in professions related to the production or use of these materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Smayda name appears in a document from the city of Krakow, Poland, dated around 1472. This document mentions a certain Mikołaj Smayda, who was listed as a landowner in the region. The name also appears in various Polish and Ukrainian parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, albeit with slight variations in spelling, such as Smaida, Smaydo, and Smaydovich.

In the late 17th century, the Smayda name was documented in the village of Topolno, located in the Galicia region, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A family bearing this surname was recorded as landowners and prominent members of the local community.

One notable figure with the Smayda surname was Jan Smayda (1604-1672), a Polish soldier and nobleman who fought in the Smolensk War against Russia. He was awarded lands in the Lublin region for his military service and played a significant role in the defense of the region during the Swedish Deluge.

Another individual of note was Andrzej Smayda (1720-1798), a Ukrainian farmer and landowner from the village of Krasne, near Lviv. He is credited with introducing new agricultural techniques and establishing a successful farming community in the region.

In the 19th century, the Smayda name gained prominence with Józef Smayda (1824-1901), a Polish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were exhibited in major cities across Europe and are still housed in several prestigious art galleries.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Smayda surname began to spread beyond Eastern Europe as families emigrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Western Europe. However, the name's roots and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Slavic regions of Poland and Ukraine.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smayda

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

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

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

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