2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Smeenge
A surname derived from a Dutch nickname meaning "thin" or "slender".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Smeenge. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smeenge 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Smeenge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smeenge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smeenge
The surname SMEENGE is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Dutch word "smenge," which means a mixture or blend. This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who worked with various materials or substances, possibly in a trade or craft.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SMEENGE can be found in the municipal records of Amsterdam in the late 1500s. It appears that a family by this name resided in the city during that time period. The spelling variations included "Smeengen" and "Smenghe."
In the 17th century, the SMEENGE name began to spread to other parts of the Netherlands and neighboring regions. It is mentioned in several historical documents from that era, such as property deeds and church records in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen.
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname SMEENGE was Pieter SMEENGE (1705-1783), a Dutch merchant and ship owner based in Rotterdam. He was known for his successful trading ventures and played a significant role in the city's maritime commerce.
Another individual of note was Johanna SMEENGE (1765-1842), a renowned painter from the city of Leeuwarden. Her works, primarily depicting landscapes and still-life scenes, were highly regarded during her lifetime and can be found in several Dutch art museums today.
In the 19th century, the SMEENGE name appeared in various parts of Europe, likely due to migration and trade. One such instance was Willem SMEENGE (1820-1892), a Belgian engineer who contributed to the development of early railway systems in his country.
As the 20th century approached, the SMEENGE surname gained a presence in other parts of the world, including North America. Hans SMEENGE (1876-1941), a Dutch immigrant to Canada, became a successful businessman and philanthropist in the city of Toronto.
Another notable figure was Anna SMEENGE (1902-1985), a German-born author and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of identity and displacement. Her literary contributions earned her several prestigious awards during her lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smeenge
Among Census respondents with the surname Smeenge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Smeenge 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 Smeenge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 94
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smeenge
Smeenge appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Smeenge 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smeenge bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Smeenge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smeenge?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Smeenge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Smeenge?
Smeenge ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Smeenge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Smeenge.
Has Smeenge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smeenge went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Smeenge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smeenge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Smeenge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smeenge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Smeenge (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 Smeenge mean?
A surname derived from a Dutch nickname meaning "thin" or "slender". 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 Smeenge (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 Smeenge?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.