2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smilow
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for smile or cheerful person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Smilow. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smilow 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Smilow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smilow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smilow
The surname SMILOW is of Polish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Smiłów, located in the Lublin region of eastern Poland. The name is derived from the Polish word "smiła," which means "bold" or "daring."
In the early records of Polish nobility and landowners, the SMILOW name can be found in documents dating back to the late 1500s. One of the earliest recorded instances is Stanisław SMILOW, a landowner who lived in the village of Smiłów in the late 16th century.
The SMILOW name also appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls, throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in the regions of Lublin, Masovia, and Lesser Poland. During this period, variations in spelling were common, including SMILOFF, SMILOVITCH, and SMILOVSK.
Notable individuals with the SMILOW surname include Jan SMILOW (1720-1789), a prominent Polish merchant and businessman who established trading routes between Poland and the Ottoman Empire. His son, Kazimierz SMILOW (1755-1832), was a respected scholar and author who wrote extensively on Polish history and culture.
In the 19th century, the SMILOW name gained prominence with the birth of Józef SMILOW (1825-1891), a renowned Polish painter and art educator. His works were widely exhibited throughout Europe and are now part of several prestigious museum collections.
Another notable figure was Zofia SMILOW (1875-1943), a Polish feminist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education. She was a founding member of the Polish Women's League and played a significant role in promoting equal opportunities for women in Poland.
In the 20th century, the SMILOW name continued to be associated with various fields, including the arts, sciences, and academia. One such individual was Mieczysław SMILOW (1915-2003), a respected physicist and university professor who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics.
While the SMILOW surname originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply tied to the Polish culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smilow
Among Census respondents with the surname Smilow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Smilow 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 Smilow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smilow
Smilow appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 10,627 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 Smilow 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 | #137,327 | #147,954 | -7.7% |
| Count | 122 | 112 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smilow bearers went from 122 to 112 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 10,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,954.
FAQ
Smilow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smilow?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Smilow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Smilow?
Smilow ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Smilow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Smilow.
Has Smilow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smilow went from 122 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Smilow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smilow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Smilow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smilow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Smilow (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 Smilow mean?
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for smile or cheerful person. 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 Smilow (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 Smilow?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Smilow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.