Smeader last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Smeader

A variant spelling of the surname Smeder, derived from an occupational name for a blacksmith.

Smeader, 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 Smeader surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smeader in America

Smeader is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smeader surname appeared 107 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 Smeader.

The history of the last name Smeader

The surname Smeader originated in England in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "smead," meaning a level meadow or pasture. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Smeader can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Willelmus de Smede is mentioned. This is thought to be an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with different spellings, such as Smeader, Smeder, and Smeedar. These variations were common due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

The Smeader surname can also be traced back to places like Smeaton in Yorkshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Smedeton." This place name likely influenced the development of the Smeader surname in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Smeader throughout history include:

  1. John Smeader (c. 1560-1635), an English merchant and alderman in the City of London.
  2. William Smeader (1620-1678), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious texts.
  3. Sarah Smeader (1674-1742), a American colonist and one of the first settlers in the town of Woodstock, Connecticut.
  4. Richard Smeader (1765-1832), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
  5. Elizabeth Smeader (1820-1896), an English educator and suffragist who campaigned for women's rights in the late 19th century.

The Smeader surname has a long and rich history, with its roots firmly planted in England's past. While it may not be a widely recognized name today, it carries the legacy of those who bore it throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smeader

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

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 Smeader was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.33% 102
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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