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

Smetana, 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 Smetana surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smetana in America

Smetana is the 18440th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smetana surname appeared 1,501 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Smetana.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smetana 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 Smetana

The surname Smetana is of Czech origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Czech word "smetana," which means cream or sour cream. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with dairy products or lived near a dairy farm.

In the early 15th century, the name Smetana appeared in the Czech land records, particularly in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. One of the earliest recorded instances was in 1420, when a Jan Smetana was mentioned in the town records of Litomyšl, located in the present-day Czech Republic.

The Smetana name has been present in various historical documents and manuscripts throughout the centuries. For example, in the 16th century, a Jan Smetana was listed as a burgher (citizen) of the town of Polička in the Pardubice Region of Bohemia.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname Smetana was the celebrated Czech composer Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884). He is widely regarded as the father of Czech national music and is best known for his opera "The Bartered Bride" and the orchestral cycle "Má vlast" (My Homeland).

Another significant figure was Hubert Smetana (1892-1964), a Czech-American inventor and engineer. He is credited with developing the first successful liquid-cooled internal combustion engine and held numerous patents related to engine design and automotive technology.

In the 18th century, a Tomáš Smetana (1718-1796) was a prominent Czech painter and etcher, known for his religious and historical works. His etchings and engravings can be found in various collections throughout Europe.

The name Smetana has also been associated with several notable scholars and academics. One example is Karel Smetana (1909-1988), a Czech physicist and professor who made significant contributions to the fields of solid-state physics and semiconductor research.

Lastly, Jaroslav Smetana (1925-2001) was a Czech writer and journalist who authored numerous novels, short stories, and plays. His works often explored themes of social injustice and the human condition in the context of post-World War II Czechoslovakia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smetana

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

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

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

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