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

Smooth, 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 Smooth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smooth in America

Smooth is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smooth surname appeared 133 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 Smooth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smooth 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 Smooth

The surname "Smooth" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old English word "smoth," which meant "smooth" or "level." This name likely referred to a person's occupation or physical characteristics, possibly a weaver or someone with a smooth, even complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Smooth" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, where a certain Richard Smoth is mentioned. This surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, referring to a William Smothe.

In the 14th century, the surname "Smooth" evolved into various spellings, such as "Smoothe," "Smothe," and "Smuthe." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling during that era. One notable example is John Smuthe, a merchant from London, who is mentioned in records from 1379.

The surname "Smooth" was not exclusively English; it also appeared in Scotland and Ireland. In the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1456, there is a reference to a Thomas Smowth from Ayrshire. Meanwhile, in Ireland, the surname "Smooth" was often anglicized from the Irish Gaelic name "MacGlúin," meaning "son of the knee" or "son of the smooth-skinned person."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "Smooth" became more widespread across England. One notable bearer of this name was Sir John Smooth (1538-1609), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London. Another prominent figure was William Smooth (1621-1683), a Puritan clergyman and author from Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the surname "Smooth" continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to the American colonies. For instance, Thomas Smooth (1725-1791) was a farmer from Dorset who later settled in Virginia.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname "Smooth" remained relatively uncommon but was still present in England and other parts of the English-speaking world. Notable individuals with this surname include Charles Smooth (1817-1879), a British architect who designed several churches in London, and Elizabeth Smooth (1846-1923), an American author and educator from Massachusetts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smooth

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

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

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

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