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Smit Family History

Smit Name Meaning

Dutch Flemish and North German: occupational name for a smith Middle Dutch smet smit. This is one of the most common surnames in the Netherlands. It is also established in South Africa. Compare De Smith and Smet . Americanized form of German Schmidt ‘smith’. Slovenian and Croatian (Šmit); Czech (also Šmít): variant of Šmid and Šmíd (see Smid compare Schmitt ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Smid, Smidt, Fait, Smet, Smink, Foit, Mis, Samis, Sant, Sim

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Smit family from?

You can see how Smit families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smit family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Smit families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Smit family living in Kentucky. This was about 50% of all the recorded Smit's in USA. Kentucky and 1 other state had the highest population of Smit families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smit surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Smit ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Smit. 29% of Smit men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Smit women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Smit were Farming and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Smit | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    16%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Smit family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Smit. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smit census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Smit

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Smit. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Smit. For the veterans among your Smit ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Smit lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Smit life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Smit in 1945 was 25, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smit

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Smit family tree

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