2000
#3,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.44
Uncommon Last name
Smyth
An occupational surname referring to a metalworker, blacksmith, or craftsman, derived from the Old English word "smið."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,366 Americans carry the last name Smyth. That puts it at #3,507 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,156 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smyth 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Smyth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,156
Census rank
#3,507
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,912 bearers of the surname Smyth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3507th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smyth
Among Census respondents with the surname Smyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Smyth 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 Smyth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 8,676
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 469
- Black or African American3.3% · 329
- Two or more races3.1% · 308
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smyth
Smyth 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
#3,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,470
+202 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#3,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,912
+442 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Up 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,522 | 9,268 | 3.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,741 | 9,470 | 3.21 | +202 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #3,507 | 9,912 | 3.32 | +442 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 234 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 Smyth 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 | #3,741 | #3,507 | 6.3% |
| Count | 9,470 | 9,912 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.21 | 3.32 | 3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smyth bearers went from 9,470 to 9,912 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,741 to #3,507.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Smyth
FAQ
Smyth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smyth?
Name Census estimates that about 11,366 living Americans carry the surname Smyth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,156 residents.
How common is Smyth?
Smyth ranks #3,507 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,912 people with the surname Smyth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,366), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Smyth.
Has Smyth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smyth went from 9,470 recorded bearers to 9,912. That is an increase of 442 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,741 to #3,507.
What does the Census say about the background of Smyth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Smyth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (8,676 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smyth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), Black (3.3%). 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 Smyth (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 Smyth mean?
An occupational surname referring to a metalworker, blacksmith, or craftsman, derived from the Old English word "smið." 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 Smyth (3.32 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 common is the surname Smyth?
See how many Americans have the surname Smyth on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.