2000
#8,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,350
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Smithers
An occupational surname for a metalworker or blacksmith who smites or strikes metal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,683 Americans carry the last name Smithers. That puts it at #9,660 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,064 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smithers 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 Smithers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,064
Census rank
#9,660
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,212 bearers of the surname Smithers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9660th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smithers
The surname Smithers originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from an occupational name for a skilled metalworker or blacksmith. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "smitan" (to smite or strike) and "isern" (iron), referring to the act of forging and shaping metal with hammer and anvil.
The name was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where metalworking and mining industries thrived. Early records show variations in spelling, including Smythers, Smythiers, and Smythieres, reflecting the diverse dialects and regional influences of the time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Smithers can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a certain Willelmus Smythers. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also contains entries of individuals with similar occupational surnames, such as Faber (Latin for "smith") and Le Ferrun (Old French for "blacksmith").
Notable individuals bearing the Smithers surname include:
1. Sir Walter Smithers (c. 1590-1665), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I.
2. Samuel Smithers (1718-1786), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Wapping, London, known for his innovative timepiece designs.
3. Henrietta Smithers (1832-1910), a British painter and illustrator whose works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries.
4. Sir Sydney Smithers (1872-1948), a prominent British civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several major railway projects in India and South Africa.
5. Reginald Smithers (1903-1987), a British playwright and screenwriter responsible for adaptations of classic works by authors like Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.
The Smithers surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Smithers Bridge in Gloucestershire and Smithers Green in Buckinghamshire, further underscoring its historical roots and geographic distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smithers
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Smithers 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 Smithers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 2,416
- Black or African American16.7% · 538
- Two or more races3.5% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smithers
Smithers 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
#9,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
+143 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 344 places
2020
#9,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,212
-281 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 340 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,976 | 3,350 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,320 | 3,493 | 1.18 | +143 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 344 places |
| 2020 | #9,660 | 3,212 | 1.07 | -281 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 340 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 Smithers 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 | #9,320 | #9,660 | -3.6% |
| Count | 3,493 | 3,212 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.07 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smithers bearers went from 3,493 to 3,212 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 340 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,320 to #9,660.
FAQ
Smithers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smithers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,683 living Americans carry the surname Smithers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,064 residents.
How common is Smithers?
Smithers ranks #9,660 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,212 people with the surname Smithers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,683), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Smithers.
Has Smithers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smithers went from 3,493 recorded bearers to 3,212. That is a decrease of 281 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,320 to #9,660.
What does the Census say about the background of Smithers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Smithers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (2,416 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smithers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (16.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Smithers (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 Smithers mean?
An occupational surname for a metalworker or blacksmith who smites or strikes metal. 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 Smithers (1.07 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 Smithers?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Smithers? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.