Smits
A Dutch occupational surname referring to a metalworker, blacksmith, or someone who works with metal.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,811 Americans carry the last name Smits. That puts it at #12,802 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smits surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.8K
1 in 121,933
Census rank
#12,802
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,409 bearers of the surname Smits in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12802nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smits, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smits
The surname Smits originated in the Low Countries, which includes modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of northern France. It traces its roots back to the Middle Dutch and Old Frisian languages spoken in these regions during the Middle Ages.
Smits is derived from the occupational surname "Smid" or "Smid(d)e," meaning a blacksmith or metalworker. This name likely referred to an ancestor who worked as a blacksmith, which was a vital profession in medieval times, responsible for forging tools, weapons, and other metal objects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Smits can be found in the 14th-century Bruges census records, where a certain "Jan Smidts" is mentioned. The name also appears in various municipal records and tax rolls from cities like Ghent, Antwerp, and Rotterdam throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the 17th century, the surname Smits gained prominence with the Dutch painter Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (1567-1641), also known as Michiel Jansz Smits. He was a renowned portrait artist who painted many of the Dutch aristocracy and influential figures of his time.
Another notable bearer of the Smits surname was Jan Smits (1624-1690), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works can be found in several prestigious museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
During the 18th century, the Smits family produced several notable figures, such as Dirk Smits (1702-1783), a Dutch engraver and mapmaker, and Andries Smits (1719-1790), a Dutch painter and draftsman known for his landscapes and architectural scenes.
In the 19th century, the Smits name gained international recognition with the Belgian composer and pianist Eugène Smits (1826-1912), whose compositions and performances were highly acclaimed throughout Europe.
Another prominent figure with the Smits surname was the Dutch-American artist Jacob A. Smits (1855-1928), who was known for his Impressionist-style paintings of landscapes and cityscapes, particularly those depicting rural scenes in the Netherlands.
Throughout its history, the surname Smits has been associated with various place names and local variations, such as "Smedt," "Smid," "Smidt," and "Smeits," reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Low Countries region where the name originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smits
Among Census respondents with the surname Smits, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Smits bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Smits surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6%
- Hispanic or Latino2.2%
- Two or more races1.6%
- Black or African American0.6%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Smits surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,466 | #12,802 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,284 | 2,409 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.82 | -3.5% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Smits bearers went from 2,284 to 2,409 (+5.5% change). The surname moved down 336 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,466 to #12,802.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Smits
FAQ
Smits surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Smits?
The surname Smits holds position #12,802 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,811 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Smits surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smits, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.