2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smies
A German surname possibly derived from "Schmied" meaning blacksmith or metalworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Smies. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smies 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Smies in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smies, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smies
The surname SMIES is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from an Anglo-Saxon or Old English root word related to smithing or metalworking. Occupational surnames were common during this time, often indicating a person's trade or craft.
One possible origin could be from the Old English word "smitan," meaning to strike or forge, suggesting an ancestral connection to a blacksmith or metalworker. Another theory suggests it may have evolved from a place name, such as Smythes or Smithies, referring to a settlement or area where smiths resided.
Early records dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries show variations in spelling, including Smythes, Smythies, and Smyes, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. The surname SMIES is thought to have emerged as a distinct spelling by the late 15th or early 16th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Smyes, a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, England, who was mentioned in a court record from 1487. A century later, in 1598, a Thomas Smies was recorded as a freeman of the City of London, indicating his status as a respected tradesman or merchant.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname was Richard Smies (1619-1678), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Uckfield in Sussex. His written works included religious treatises and sermons published during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual was Sir John Smies (1678-1745), a wealthy landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Lymington in Hampshire from 1722 to 1727. He was also known for his extensive property holdings and influential role in local affairs.
During the 18th century, a family of SMIES lived in the village of Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, where they were prominent landowners and farmers. One member, William Smies (1732-1802), served as the parish constable and oversaw local affairs for several decades.
While the surname SMIES is not among the most common in historical records, it has persisted throughout the centuries, with bearers dispersed across various regions of England and, later, other parts of the British Isles and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smies
Among Census respondents with the surname Smies, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Smies 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 Smies surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smies
Smies 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,439 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+8 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,559 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 3,439 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 5,559 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 Smies 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 | #148,347 | #142,788 | 3.7% |
| Count | 111 | 119 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smies bearers went from 111 to 119 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 5,559 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #142,788.
FAQ
Smies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smies?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Smies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Smies?
Smies ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Smies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Smies.
Has Smies become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smies went from 111 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 8 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Smies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smies, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Smies in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Hispanic (2.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Smies (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 Smies mean?
A German surname possibly derived from "Schmied" meaning blacksmith or metalworker. 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 Smies (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 have the last name Smies?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Smies, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.