2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Smrt
A Serbian surname possibly derived from the word "smreka" meaning spruce or pine tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Smrt. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smrt 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Smrt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smrt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smrt
The surname SMRT is of Czech origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Czech word "smrt," meaning "death." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a morbid or grim demeanor or profession, such as a gravedigger or executioner.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname SMRT can be found in Czech historical records from the late 1300s. One notable mention is in the Codex Gigas, a 13th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia, which lists a "Jan SMRT" as a scribe.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the town of Třeboň, where a "Jakub SMRT" is listed as a blacksmith. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial use as a descriptive nickname and had become an established surname.
As the name SMRT spread throughout Bohemia and Moravia, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Smrrt," "Smrtt," and "Smrty." These spellings likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
One notable individual with the surname SMRT was Jan SMRT (1590-1657), a Czech theologian and rector of the University of Prague. He was a prominent figure in the Counter-Reformation and wrote several influential works on Catholic theology.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Karel SMRT (1824-1892), a Czech poet and journalist who was active in the Czech National Revival movement. His poetry celebrated Czech culture and identity and helped to shape the Czech literary canon.
In the 19th century, the name SMRT also appeared in the United States, likely brought by Czech immigrants. One notable American with this surname was Frank SMRT (1888-1964), a Major League Baseball player who played for the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Red Sox.
Other notable individuals with the surname SMRT include Jindřich SMRT (1914-1982), a Czech writer and playwright known for his works exploring themes of Czech identity and the impact of World War II, and Milada SMRT (1928-2008), a Czech artist and illustrator whose works were celebrated for their vibrant colors and whimsical style.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smrt
Among Census respondents with the surname Smrt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Smrt 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 Smrt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smrt
Smrt 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,706 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 4,706 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 Smrt 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 | #160,975 | #156,269 | 2.9% |
| Count | 100 | 98 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smrt bearers went from 100 to 98 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,706 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #156,269.
FAQ
Smrt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smrt?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Smrt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Smrt?
Smrt ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Smrt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Smrt.
Has Smrt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smrt went from 100 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 2 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Smrt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smrt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Smrt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smrt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Smrt (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 Smrt mean?
A Serbian surname possibly derived from the word "smreka" meaning spruce or pine tree. 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 Smrt (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 Americans have the surname Smrt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.