2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Smell
An occupational surname referring to a person whose work involved scents or fragrances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Smell. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Smell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Smell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smell
The surname SMELL is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "smæl," which meant "slender" or "thin." This word later evolved into the Middle English "smel," referring to a person with a slender or slim build.
In medieval times, surnames were often descriptive, referring to a person's physical characteristics, occupation, or place of origin. The surname SMELL likely originated as a nickname for someone with a slender physique. It is worth noting that the name has no direct connection to the modern English word "smell," meaning the sense of odor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SMELL surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a medieval document dating back to 1273. Here, the name is listed as "Smale," an early variation of the modern spelling.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a man named John Smale is mentioned in 1345. This record provides evidence of the surname's use in northern England during that period.
The SMELL surname has also been associated with various place names in England. For example, the hamlet of Smeale in Lancashire may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that region.
One notable figure bearing the SMELL surname was John Smale, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1512 to 1567. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and was a renowned scholar of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was William Smale, a 17th-century English composer and organist. Born in 1599, he held positions at various churches and cathedrals, including the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey.
In the 19th century, Thomas Smale (1819-1899) was a prominent English architect known for his work on churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Among literary figures, Doreen Smale (1906-1965) was a renowned British author and playwright, best known for her novels and plays set in rural England.
Lastly, the SMELL surname gained further recognition through the accomplishments of Sir Donald Smale (1914-1998), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to NATO and held various diplomatic positions throughout his career.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence and diversity of the SMELL surname across various fields and periods in history, highlighting its enduring legacy as a distinctly English name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smell
Among Census respondents with the surname Smell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Smell 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 Smell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 104
- Black or African American8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smell
Smell 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-48 bearers (-30.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 45,078 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -48 bearers (-30.6%) | Down 45,078 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 6,941 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 Smell 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 | #150,452 | #143,511 | 4.6% |
| Count | 109 | 118 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smell bearers went from 109 to 118 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 6,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #143,511.
FAQ
Smell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smell?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Smell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Smell?
Smell ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Smell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Smell.
Has Smell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smell went from 109 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Smell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Smell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (8.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Smell (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 Smell mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person whose work involved scents or fragrances. 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 Smell (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 are called Smell?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Smell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.