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

Smothers, 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 Smothers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smothers in America

Smothers is the 4756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smothers surname appeared 7,444 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Smothers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smothers 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 Smothers

The surname Smothers has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "smotheren," which means "to smother" or "to suffocate." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who worked as a smoker or charcoal burner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Smothers can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John le Smothere in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, as it was initially spelled with a "th" instead of the modern "th" spelling.

During the 14th century, the surname Smothers appeared in various historical records, such as the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1344, which mentions a Thomas le Smothere. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of England by this time.

In the 16th century, the Smothers surname was found in various parish records, such as the baptism of John Smothers in St. Martin's Church, Birmingham, in 1587. This indicates that the name had become well-established in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Smothers include John Smothers (1572-1646), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, and Robert Smothers (1662-1726), a renowned clockmaker from Nottinghamshire.

Another notable figure was William Smothers (1748-1823), a British soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Canada, where he became a prominent landowner and community leader.

In the 19th century, the Smothers surname gained further prominence with individuals such as Henry Smothers (1815-1892), a respected lawyer and judge from Virginia, and Elizabeth Smothers (1838-1914), a pioneering educator and author who established several schools in the American West.

Throughout history, the Smothers surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smothers

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

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

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

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