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

Smokes, 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 Smokes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smokes in America

Smokes is the 86981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smokes surname appeared 214 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Smokes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smokes 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 Smokes

The surname "Smokes" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be an occupational name, derived from the Old English word "smoc," which means "smoke" or "smoky." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone whose occupation involved working with smoke, such as a blacksmith, a baker, or a person who produced charcoal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Smokes" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a person named "Roger Smoc" is listed. The spelling variation "Smoc" likely reflects the original Old English form of the name.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a "John Smok" is mentioned in 1348. This spelling variation, "Smok," is closer to the modern form of the surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name "Smokes" began to be more widely recorded across England. In the 1568 Muster Roll of Yorkshire, a "William Smokes" is listed, demonstrating the current spelling of the surname.

One notable person with the surname "Smokes" was Sir John Smokes (1556-1628), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Shoreham during the reign of King James I. Another figure was William Smokes (1612-1679), a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the "Smokes" name can be found in various parish records and historical documents across different regions of England. For example, in 1712, a "Thomas Smokes" is recorded in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London.

Another individual worth mentioning is Samuel Smokes (1721-1788), a renowned clockmaker from Gloucestershire, who established a successful business and was known for his intricate timepieces.

As the centuries progressed, the "Smokes" surname continued to be present in various parts of England, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, such as agriculture, trade, and local governance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smokes

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

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

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

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