2000
#12,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Smithey
An occupational surname referring to a person who works with metal, a variant of the surname "Smith."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,363 Americans carry the last name Smithey. That puts it at #14,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smithey 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
2.4K
1 in 145,051
Census rank
#14,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,061 bearers of the surname Smithey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smithey
The surname SMITHEY is of English origin, derived from the occupational name "Smith," which referred to a blacksmith or metalworker. The name can be traced back to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The earliest known record of the surname SMITHEY is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Smizze." This spelling variation is believed to be an anglicized version of the Old English word "smið," meaning a skilled worker in metal.
During the Middle Ages, blacksmiths were highly valued in society for their ability to craft tools, weapons, and other essential metal implements. As such, the surname SMITHEY was often associated with a level of respect and status.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Smythey, born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1320. He was a prominent blacksmith who is mentioned in local historical records for his work on the construction of nearby churches and castles.
Another notable individual was William Smithey, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1452. He was a skilled metalworker who was commissioned to create ornate ironwork for the royal residences of King Edward IV.
In the 16th century, the surname SMITHEY was found in various areas of England, including Lincolnshire, where a family of blacksmiths lived in the village of Smithey Hill, likely named after their surname and occupation.
Robert Smithey, born in Oxfordshire in 1578, was a renowned blacksmith who was responsible for forging the intricate metalwork for the famous Radcliffe Camera building in Oxford.
During the 17th century, the surname SMITHEY gained recognition beyond the blacksmithing trade. Thomas Smithey, born in Norfolk in 1621, was a renowned playwright and poet who penned several popular works for the Elizabethan stage.
As the name spread across England, it also evolved into different spellings, such as Smythie, Smythey, and Smythy, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smithey
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Smithey 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 Smithey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,887
- Two or more races3.1% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 59
- Black or African American1.4% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smithey
Smithey 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
#12,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,544
+257 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 219 places
2020
#14,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,061
-483 bearers (-19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,776 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,450 | 2,287 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,231 | 2,544 | 0.86 | +257 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 219 places |
| 2020 | #14,007 | 2,061 | 0.69 | -483 bearers (-19.0%) | Down 1,776 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 Smithey 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 | #12,231 | #14,007 | -14.5% |
| Count | 2,544 | 2,061 | -19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.69 | -19.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smithey bearers went from 2,544 to 2,061 (-19.0% change). The surname moved down 1,776 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,231 to #14,007.
FAQ
Smithey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smithey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,363 living Americans carry the surname Smithey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,051 residents.
How common is Smithey?
Smithey ranks #14,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,061 people with the surname Smithey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Smithey.
Has Smithey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smithey went from 2,544 recorded bearers to 2,061. That is a decrease of 483 (-19.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,231 to #14,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Smithey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smithey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Smithey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smithey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Smithey (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 Smithey mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who works with metal, a variant of the surname "Smith." 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 Smithey (0.69 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 last name Smithey?
Want to know how many people have the last name Smithey? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.