Smith Family History
Smith Name Meaning
English: occupational name for a worker in metal, from Middle
English smith (Old English smið, probably a
derivative of smitan ‘to strike, hammer’). Metal-working was
one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were
required, and its importance ensured that this term and its
equivalents were perhaps the most widespread of all occupational
surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making
horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for
their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is the
most frequent of all American surnames; it has also absorbed, by
assimilation and translation, cognates and equivalents from many other
languages (for forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988).
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
48,991,098
Historical Documents & Family Trees with Smith
Name Distribution of Smith Families
MAP:
United States
England & Wales
Scotland
Number of Smith families
 17,114 - 34,225  5,705 - 17,113 |
 1 - 5,704  |
from the 1920 US Federal Census Data
Number of Smith families
|
30,136 - 60,270 10,046 - 30,135 |
1 - 10,045 |
from the 1891 England and Wales Census Data
Number of Smith families
|
6,607 - 13,211 2,203 - 6,606 |
1 - 2,202 |
from the 1891 Scotland Census Data
Smith census records
You can see how Smith families moved over time by selecting different Census years.
Census records can tell you little-known facts about your ancestors such as birthplace, occupation and value of personal estate.
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Smith Family Origin
Smith Immigration Information
Click on a circle in the chart to view Smith immigration records
You can find out when most of the Smith families immigrated
to the United States.
You can focus your search to immigration records dating from that era.
Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival and destination.
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from the New York Passenger Lists
Average Life Expectancy for Smith
Click on a circle in the chart to view Smith birth and death records
An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your ancestors lived in harsh conditions.
A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in
your family.
The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates,
death dates, addresses and more.
View all Smith ancestors in the SSDI >
from the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
Smith Family Occupations
from 1880 Federal Census Data
Smith census records
Census records can offer a lot of little known facts about your Smith ancestors, such as occupation.
Occupation can tell you about your ancestors' social status and economic status.
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Smith Civil War Service Records
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