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

Smitherman, 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 Smitherman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smitherman in America

Smitherman is the 9245th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smitherman surname appeared 3,521 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 Smitherman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smitherman 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 Smitherman

The surname Smitherman originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "smið" meaning a worker in metal or blacksmith, and the suffix "-man" denoting a person. The earliest recorded spelling was Smetheremanne, found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcester in 1275.

The Smitherman name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire during the medieval period. It is believed to have evolved from the occupation of a blacksmith or metalworker, with the name referring to someone who was a smith's assistant or apprentice.

In the 13th century, a John Smetheremanne was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region. The Domesday Book of 1086 did not record any instances of the Smitherman surname, but it did list several individuals with the occupation of "smith."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Smitherman surname was William Smetheremanne, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was John Smitherman, born in 1512 in Evesham, Worcestershire, who served as a church warden and freeman of the town.

During the 16th century, the Smitherman name appeared in various parish records across England, with variations such as Smytherman and Smetherman. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Smytherman (1535-1597), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and Thomas Smetherman (1564-1628), a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Warwick.

In the 17th century, the Smitherman surname spread to other parts of England, including London and the surrounding counties. One notable figure was John Smitherman (1624-1692), a successful businessman and member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in London.

As time progressed, the Smitherman name continued to appear in various records and historic documents, reflecting the family's presence across different regions of England. Some other notable individuals bearing this surname include William Smitherman (1742-1808), a renowned architect from Gloucestershire, and Elizabeth Smitherman (1787-1862), a well-known author and poet from Worcestershire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smitherman

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

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

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

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