2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Smolder
A surname possibly describing one who had a smoldering temper or a brooding demeanor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Smolder. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smolder 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Smolder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smolder, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smolder
The surname SMOLDER is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "smolderen," meaning "to smolder" or "to burn slowly." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with fire or lived near a smoldering kiln or forge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Smoldere is listed. The name also appears in various parish records and court rolls from the 15th and 16th centuries, with spellings such as Smoulder, Smolter, and Smoldyr.
In the 16th century, the SMOLDER surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, indicating a possible concentration of the name's origins in the northern regions of England.
One notable figure bearing the SMOLDER name was William Smolder (c. 1520-1585), a merchant and alderman in the city of York. Records from the time mention his involvement in local governance and trade disputes.
Another individual of historical significance was Elizabeth Smolder (1623-1684), a Puritan writer and poet whose works addressed religious themes and offered moral guidance. Her collection of poems, "The Burning Lamp," was published posthumously in 1687.
In the 18th century, the SMOLDER surname gained some prominence with the birth of John Smolder (1745-1812), a renowned clockmaker from Lancashire. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry and aristocracy of the time.
During the 19th century, the name appeared in various official records, such as the 1841 Census of England and Wales, where several families with the SMOLDER surname were listed in various counties, including Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire.
One notable bearer of the name from this period was Mary Smolder (1832-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools for girls and campaigned for equal access to education for women.
While the SMOLDER surname may not have been as widely documented as some other English surnames, its history and origins can be traced back to the medieval era, with connections to fire-related occupations and locations in northern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smolder
Among Census respondents with the surname Smolder, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Smolder 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 Smolder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 101
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smolder
Smolder appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 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 Smolder 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 | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smolder bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Smolder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smolder?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Smolder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Smolder?
Smolder ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Smolder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Smolder.
Has Smolder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smolder went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Smolder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smolder, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Smolder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smolder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Smolder (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 Smolder mean?
A surname possibly describing one who had a smoldering temper or a brooding demeanor. 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 Smolder (0.03 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 Smolder?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.