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

Smith, 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 Smith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smith in America

Smith is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smith surname appeared 163 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 Smith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smith 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 Smith

The surname "SMTIH" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the more common surname "Smith," which derived from the Old English word "smitan," meaning "to strike." This likely referred to a blacksmith or metalworker who struck metal with a hammer as part of their trade.

One of the earliest known records of the surname "SMTIH" appears in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230, where a William Smyth is mentioned. This spelling variation was relatively uncommon but still found in various records throughout medieval England.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a Robert le Smyth is listed from Lincolnshire. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname was a common practice at the time, indicating the occupation or trade of the individual.

During the 14th century, the surname "SMTIH" began to appear more frequently in historical documents. For example, a John Smyth was recorded in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.

One notable early bearer of the surname "SMTIH" was Sir John Smyth (c. 1325-1399), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament. He held considerable estates in Kent and was knighted for his military service during the Hundred Years' War.

Another individual with the surname "SMTIH" was William Smyth (c. 1460-1514), who served as Bishop of Lincoln and was also the co-founder of Brasenose College at the University of Oxford.

In the 16th century, the surname "SMTIH" continued to be found in various records across England. One example is Thomas Smyth (c. 1515-1577), an English scholar and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under Queen Elizabeth I.

As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the surname "SMTIH" evolved and became more standardized, although variations such as "Smythe" and "Smyth" remained in use by some families.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smith

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

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

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

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