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

Smith, 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 Smith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smith in America

Smith is the 1st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smith surname appeared 2,442,977 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 828 people would have the surname Smith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smith 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 Smith

The surname Smith originated in England, Scotland, and other parts of the British Isles. It dates back to the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old English word "smitan," meaning to strike or hammer. Smiths were skilled metalworkers, particularly blacksmiths, who crafted tools, weapons, and other metal objects.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Smith is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the name Smith or variations like Smyth and Smythe are listed in this ancient record.

During the medieval period, the surname Smith was often associated with specific locations or places, leading to the formation of locative surnames like Ashbysmith or Greensmith. These names indicated a smith residing in or near a particular town or geographical feature.

One of the earliest known Smiths was John le Smyth, who lived in Yorkshire, England, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was William Smyth, a 15th-century English scholar and bishop who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

In Scotland, the surname Smith has a long history, with instances dating back to the 13th century. Sir Michael Scot, a renowned philosopher and scholar from the early 13th century, was also known by the surname Smyth.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Smith gained further prominence with individuals like Sir Thomas Smythe, an English merchant and financier who played a significant role in the establishment of the East India Company in the early 17th century.

Another famous Smith was Captain John Smith, an English soldier, author, and explorer who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Jamestown colony in Virginia in the early 17th century. His writings and accounts of the New World are considered invaluable historical sources.

In the realm of science, Robert Smith, an English mathematician and astronomer from the 17th century, made significant contributions to the understanding of celestial mechanics and the motion of planets.

The surname Smith has also been associated with various notable figures in literature and the arts, including the renowned English poet Charlotte Smith, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and the American artist Patti Smith, a pioneer of the punk rock movement in the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smith

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

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

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

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