Smith (surname)

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For other uses, see Smith (disambiguation).

Smith
Family Name

A close-up of a blacksmith at work. Smith became a popular last name for those with this occupation.
Meaning derived from smitan meaning to smite or strike
Region of origin England, Ireland and Scotland
Related names numerous
Popularity Behind the Name 
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Smith

Smith is the most common family name (surname) in the United Kingdom and the United States,[1] representing more than 1 out of every 100 persons in each of these countries. It is particularly prevalent among those of English descent,[2] the name being mainly English itself, but has often been taken by non-English natives or immigrants to the above countries in order to blend into the majority culture more easily.[citation needed] It is also a common surname among African Americans, which can be attributed to English slave owners giving the name to black slaves during the Slave Trade. At least 3 million people in the United States share the surname Smith,[3] and somewhat more than ½ million share it in the United Kingdom.[4] At the turn of the 20th century, the surname was sufficiently prevalent in England to have prompted the statement: "Common to every village in England, north, south, east and west";[5] and sufficiently common on the (European) continent (in various forms) to be "...common in most countries of Europe."[6]

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[edit] Derivation

The name originally derives from smitan, the Anglo-Saxon term meaning to smite or strike (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). This term led to the name of the occupation, smith or blacksmith, because such persons must continuously strike metal with a hammer in order to shape it. Metallurgy required the development of specialist skills, and was practiced throughout the world from the Bronze Age. The use of Smith as an occupational surname dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham was recorded in 975.[7] Smithers may also have derived from the Celtic word "smiterin" which meant "blown to bits". This explains the common expression "blown to smithereens".

Although the name is derived from a common occupation, many later Smiths had no connection to that occupation, but adopted or were given the surname precisely because of its commonness. For example:

  • Following the failed Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland, which began around 1715, many Scots adopted the last name Smith to disguise their connection with rebellious clans.[citation needed] To this day, it is not uncommon for persons in English-speaking countries to adopt the surname Smith in order to maintain a secret identity, when they wish to avoid being found by someone; see also John Smith.
  • During the colonisation of North America, some Native Americans took the name for use in dealing with colonists.
  • During the period of slavery in the United States, many slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their emancipation.
  • It is thought that many early Jewish settlers in the British Isles and colonies took the name Smith so as not to stand out when settling in to their new culture.
Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island; some chose more "American" surnames, like "Smith", on arrival.
Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island; some chose more "American" surnames, like "Smith", on arrival.

A popular misconception holds that at the beginning of the 20th century, when many new immigrants were entering the U.S., civil servants at Ellis Island responsible for cataloging the entry of such persons sometimes arbitrarily assigned new surnames if the immigrants' original surname was particularly lengthy, or difficult for the processor to spell or pronounce. While such claims are likely vastly exaggerated,[8] many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with Anglicised versions of their birth names; the common and equivalent German surname "Schmidt" was often Anglicised to "Smith".

[edit] Variations

Variations of the surname, Smith, also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English term, and versions from other countries and cultures.

[edit] English variations

Some English variations took place by dint of transient writing conventions, such such as Smithe, Smyth and Smythe[5][9][10] Other variants such as Smithy, Smythy, Smithies and Smythies may have arisen independently or as offshoots from the 'Smith' root.[10] Names such as Smither and Smithers may in some cases be variants of 'Smith' but in others independent surnames based on a meaning of 'light and active' attributed to smyther.[10] Additional derivatives include Smithman, Smithson and Smithfield (see below).[10]

Other variations focus on particular branches within the profession, particularly those based on the materials worked with — Blacksmith, from those who worked predominantly with iron, Whitesmith, from those who worked with tin (and the more obvious Tinsmith), Brownsmith, from those who worked with copper (and the more obvious Coppersmith), Silversmith, Goldsmith — and those based on the goods produced, such as Hammersmith, Naismith (referring to nails), Arrowsmith or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoes).[10]

The patronymic practice of attaching "son" to the end of a name to indicate that the bearer is the child of the original holder has also led to the occurrences of the surnames Smithson and Smisson. Another variation, Smithfield, might derive from persons descended from an estate originally named for a Smith – although another source for this name is from natives of an area known for its "smooth field".

In the British Armed Forces personnel with the Smith surname are affectionately called "Smudge" by their comrades.

[edit] Variations from other countries and cultures

[edit] "Smith" in other languages

Other languages with different words for the occupation of smith also produced surnames based on that derivation.

[edit] Romance languages

Words derived from the Latin term for smith, Faber (also the root of the word "fabricate") such as the Italian farrier, are the root of last names common in several parts of Europe.

[edit] Celtic languages

In Ireland and Gaelic Scotland, the word for smith, gobha, is prevalent in names like Goff, Gough, Gabhain and MacGabhann (anglicised as McGabhain), the latter based on Mac Gobha (literally 'son of the smith')[11]. In Wales the word for smith is gof. This doesn't occur as a common surname, but the Celtic smith god Gofannon features in the medieval tales called the Mabinogion.

[edit] Slavic and nearby languages

The Slavic languages and the Romanian and Hungarian they influenced contain a family of surnames that similarly derive from a common root referring to the metalworking occupation.

[edit] Other languages

[edit] Comparative note

Although Smith is the most common surname in the English-speaking world, it is held by fewer than five-million people worldwide. It is, therefore, dwarfed by the most common surname - Li - which is held by over one hundred and eight million people. Indeed, each of the twenty most common last names in China represents more people than all of the world's Smiths.

Smith was the most common surname in Canada until 2006 - when it was overtaken in that country by Li.[12]

[edit] Notable people sharing the surname "Smith"

Main article: People with the surname Smith

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Citation: US Census Bureau, 1995.
  2. ^ Citation: Brooke, 2006.
  3. ^ Citation: How Many of Me?
  4. ^ Citation: Smith surname at YourNotMe.
  5. ^ a b Citation: Bardsley, 1901.
  6. ^ a b c d Citation: Anderson, 1863.
  7. ^ Citation: Simpson, 2007.
  8. ^ USCIS Home Page
  9. ^ Citation: Geoghegan 2006.
  10. ^ a b c d e Citation: Lower, 1860.
  11. ^ Citation: O'Kane, 1998.
  12. ^ Citation: CBC News, 2007.

[edit] References

[edit] External links