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

Smyth, 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 Smyth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smyth in America

Smyth is the 3741st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smyth surname appeared 9,470 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 Smyth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smyth 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 Smyth

The surname "SMYTH" is of English origin and it is an occupational surname that refers to a skilled worker in metal, particularly a blacksmith or a whitesmith (a tinsmith or worker in light metals). The name is derived from the Old English word "smið" which means "to strike" or "to forge".

This surname can be traced back to the 11th century in various parts of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

In the medieval period, the surname Smyth was particularly prevalent in regions of England known for metalworking and mining activities, such as Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. The surname also had several spelling variations, including Smythe, Smithe, and Smyther, which were common in various regions of the country.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Smyth was Sir Michael de Smythton, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent landowner in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was Richard Smyth, a 14th-century English philosopher and logician who is considered one of the founders of the English Logicians School.

In the 15th century, John Smyth (c. 1460-1514) was a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament who served as the Sheriff of London in 1512. His son, Sir Thomas Smyth (c. 1485-1547), was a renowned Tudor diplomat and scholar who served as the Secretary of State to King Henry VIII.

During the 16th century, Sir Thomas Smythe (1558-1625) was an English merchant, diplomat, and colonizer who played a significant role in the establishment of the English colonies in North America. He was the first governor of the East India Company and is considered one of the founders of the British Empire.

Another notable figure with the surname Smyth was Captain John Smyth (c. 1570-1612), an English separatist who founded the Baptist movement in England and is regarded as one of the founders of the Baptist denomination in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smyth

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

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

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

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