2000
#54,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 353
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Smikle
A variant spelling of the English occupational surname referring to a metalsmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 607 Americans carry the last name Smikle. That puts it at #43,886 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 564,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smikle 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 Smikle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
607
1 in 564,669
Census rank
#43,886
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
529
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 529 bearers of the surname Smikle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43886th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smikle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smikle
The surname Smikle originated in England and was first recorded in the early 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "smicere" or "smikere," meaning a tailor or a seamster. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a tailor or a seamster.
The earliest known record of the name Smikle can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dating back to 1327, where it was spelled as "Smykere." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, as surnames were often subject to changes due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping.
In the late 14th century, the name appeared in various court rolls and manorial records across England, particularly in the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Surrey. For instance, the Manorial Court Rolls of Laughton, Sussex, from 1380, mention a certain "William Smykere."
The Smikle surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Smikle, who was born in Kent, England, around 1520. He was a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Smikle, born in 1611 in Surrey, England. She was a prominent Puritan author and poet, known for her religious works and her advocacy for women's education.
In the 18th century, Thomas Smikle (1720-1798), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London, left a considerable fortune to establish a charitable foundation for the education of underprivileged children.
During the Victorian era, Sir Robert Smikle (1832-1907) was a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Smikle Library and the Smikle House, both of which still stand today as architectural landmarks.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Dr. Mary Smikle (1912-1998) was a pioneering scientist and researcher in the field of genetics. She made significant contributions to the understanding of inherited diseases and was widely respected for her groundbreaking work.
These examples demonstrate the rich history and legacy of the Smikle surname, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smikle
Among Census respondents with the surname Smikle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Smikle 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 Smikle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.0% · 423
- White8.5% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 30
- Two or more races5.7% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smikle
Smikle 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
#44,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 484
+131 bearers (+37.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 10,220 places
2020
#43,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 529
+45 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,643 | 353 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,423 | 484 | 0.16 | +131 bearers (+37.1%) | Up 10,220 places |
| 2020 | #43,886 | 529 | 0.18 | +45 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 537 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 Smikle 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 | #44,423 | #43,886 | 1.2% |
| Count | 484 | 529 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.18 | 10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smikle bearers went from 484 to 529 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 537 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,423 to #43,886.
FAQ
Smikle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smikle?
Name Census estimates that about 607 living Americans carry the surname Smikle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 564,669 residents.
How common is Smikle?
Smikle ranks #43,886 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 529 people with the surname Smikle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Smikle.
Has Smikle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smikle went from 484 recorded bearers to 529. That is an increase of 45 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,423 to #43,886.
What does the Census say about the background of Smikle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smikle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Hispanic (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Smikle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (423 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smikle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.0%), White (8.5%), Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Smikle (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 Smikle mean?
A variant spelling of the English occupational surname referring to a metalsmith. 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 Smikle (0.18 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 Smikle?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Smikle, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.