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

Smerz, 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 Smerz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smerz in America

Smerz is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smerz surname appeared 196 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 Smerz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smerz 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 Smerz

The surname SMERZ is of Russian origin, emerging in the late 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Russian word "smert," which translates to "death." This association with death suggests that the name may have been given to individuals involved in professions related to death, such as executioners or gravediggers.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname SMERZ can be found in official documents from the Russian Empire, particularly in regions like Moscow and St. Petersburg. One of the first known bearers of this name was Ivan Smerz, a gravedigger who lived in Moscow in the 1860s.

In the early 20th century, the name gained notoriety due to its connection with the SMERSH (Smert Shpionam, or "Death to Spies") organization, which was the counterintelligence agency of the Soviet Union during World War II. This agency was tasked with identifying and neutralizing enemy spies and saboteurs, further solidifying the association between the surname and death.

One notable figure with the surname SMERZ was Viktor Smerz (1892-1957), a Soviet military officer who served as a senior member of the SMERSH organization during World War II. He played a crucial role in identifying and apprehending German spies operating within the Soviet Union.

Another individual of historical significance was Aleksandr Smerz (1910-1988), a Soviet writer and playwright known for his works depicting the struggles of the working class during the early years of the Soviet Union. His plays were widely performed and celebrated for their realistic portrayal of everyday life in the Soviet era.

In the realm of academia, Yelena Smerz (1926-2003) was a renowned linguist and scholar of Slavic languages. She taught at several prestigious universities and authored numerous publications on the history and evolution of Russian and other Slavic languages.

While the surname SMERZ may have originated from a somber association with death, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smerz

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

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

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

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