2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smusz
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning "sad" or "grievous".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Smusz. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smusz 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Smusz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smusz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smusz
The surname SMUSZ has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the regions of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, derived from an occupational term or nickname related to blacksmithing or metalworking.
One theory suggests that SMUSZ may be a variant of the Polish word "smug," meaning a streak or line, potentially referring to the marks left by a blacksmith's work. Another possibility is that it originated from the Proto-Slavic word "smusha," meaning "to mix" or "to stir," potentially describing the process of melting and mixing metals.
Early records of the surname SMUSZ can be found in church records and land registries from the 16th and 17th centuries in various towns and villages across the regions of Galicia, Volhynia, and Podolia, which were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the time.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname SMUSZ was Jan Smusz, a blacksmith who lived in the town of Zbaraż (now in Ukraine) in the mid-16th century. His name appeared in a local land registry from 1568, indicating his occupation and the presence of the surname in the region.
Another notable bearer of the SMUSZ surname was Andrzej Smusz, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Lviv (then known as Lwów) in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in trade with other parts of Europe and owned several properties in the city.
In the 18th century, a family of nobles with the surname SMUSZ resided in the village of Siemkowice, near the town of Sokal in the Galicia region (now in western Ukraine). They were landowners and played a role in local affairs, with several members serving as village elders or administrators.
One of the most famous individuals with the SMUSZ surname was Karol Smusz, a Polish-Ukrainian writer and poet who lived in the 19th century (1822-1892). He was born in the town of Brzeżany (now in Ukraine) and is known for his works that explored themes of national identity and cultural heritage.
Another notable figure was Józef Smusz, a Polish military officer who fought in the November Uprising against the Russian Empire in the early 19th century (1789-1859). He was captured by Russian forces and spent several years in exile in Siberia before being pardoned and returning to his homeland.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the SMUSZ surname, which originated in Eastern Europe and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including blacksmiths, merchants, landowners, writers, and military personnel.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smusz
Among Census respondents with the surname Smusz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Smusz 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 Smusz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 112
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smusz
Smusz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,087 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,087 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,020 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 Smusz 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 | #146,201 | #147,221 | -0.7% |
| Count | 113 | 113 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smusz bearers went from 113 to 113 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,221.
FAQ
Smusz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smusz?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Smusz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Smusz?
Smusz ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Smusz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Smusz.
Has Smusz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smusz went from 113 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Smusz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smusz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Smusz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smusz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Smusz (2000, 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 Smusz mean?
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning "sad" or "grievous". 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 Smusz (0.04 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 Smusz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.