2000
#8,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,414
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Smitherman
An occupational surname referring to a worker who operates a smithy or metalworking shop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,836 Americans carry the last name Smitherman. That puts it at #9,338 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,352 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smitherman 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 Smitherman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,352
Census rank
#9,338
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,345 bearers of the surname Smitherman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9338th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smitherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smitherman
Among Census respondents with the surname Smitherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Smitherman 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 Smitherman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 2,653
- Black or African American13.5% · 451
- Two or more races4.4% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smitherman
Smitherman 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
#9,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,521
+107 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 413 places
2020
#9,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,345
-176 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,832 | 3,414 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,245 | 3,521 | 1.19 | +107 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 413 places |
| 2020 | #9,338 | 3,345 | 1.12 | -176 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 93 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 Smitherman 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 | #9,245 | #9,338 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,521 | 3,345 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.12 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smitherman bearers went from 3,521 to 3,345 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,245 to #9,338.
FAQ
Smitherman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smitherman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,836 living Americans carry the surname Smitherman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,352 residents.
How common is Smitherman?
Smitherman ranks #9,338 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,345 people with the surname Smitherman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,836), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Smitherman.
Has Smitherman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smitherman went from 3,521 recorded bearers to 3,345. That is a decrease of 176 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,245 to #9,338.
What does the Census say about the background of Smitherman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smitherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Smitherman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (2,653 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smitherman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (13.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Smitherman (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 Smitherman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a worker who operates a smithy or metalworking shop. 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 Smitherman (1.12 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 surname Smitherman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.