Smith (surname)

The name refers to a smith, originally deriving from smið or smiþ, the Old English term meaning one who works in metal, related to the word smitan, the Old English form of smite, which also meant strike (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). The Old English word smiþ comes from the Proto-Germanic word smiþaz. Smithy comes from the Old English word smiðē from the Proto-Germanic smiðjon. 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, North East England, was recorded in 975.Citation: Simpson, 2007.

File:Ellis island 1902.jpg; 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.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} While such claims may be exaggerated,{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Marian Louise |date=2006-01-20 |title=American Names / Declaring Independence |url=http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/history/articles/NameEssay.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060131090031/http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/history/articles/NameEssay.html |archive-date=31 January 2006 |access-date=2005-12-20 |website=United States Citizenship and Immigration Services }} many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with Anglicised versions of their birth names; the German Schmidt was often Anglicized to Smith not only during the world wars, but also commonly in times of peace, and the Polish equivalent Kowalski was Anglicized to Smith as well.

Variations of the surname Smith also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English name, and versions in other languages.

There is some disagreement about the origins of the numerous variations of the name Smith. The addition of an e at the end of the name is sometimes considered an affectation, but may have arisen either as an attempt to spell smithy or as the Middle English adjectival form of smith,Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. which would have been used in surnames based on location rather than occupation (in other words, for someone living near or at the smithy).Citation: Lower, 1860.

Likewise, the replacement of the i with a y in Smyth or Smythe is also often considered an affectation but may have originally occurred because of the difficulty of reading blackletter text, where Smith might look like Snuth or Simth. However, Charles Bardsley wrote in 1901, "The y in Smyth is the almost invariable spelling in early rolls, so that it cannot exactly be styled a modern affectation."

Some variants (such as Smijth) were adopted by individuals for personal reasons, while others may have arisen independently or as offshoots from the Smith root. 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. Additional derivatives include Smithman, Smithson and Smithfield (see below). Athersmith may derive from at the Smith.{{cite web|url=http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Athersmith|title=Surname Database: Athersmith Last Name Origin|website=The Internet Surname Database|access-date=8 October 2018}}

Other variations focus on specialisms within the profession; for example Blacksmith, from those who worked predominantly with iron, Whitesmith, from those who worked with tin (and the more obvious Tinsmith), Brownsmith and Redsmith, from those who worked with copper (Coppersmith and Greensmith; copper is green when oxidised), Silversmith and Goldsmith – and those based on the goods produced, such as Hammersmith, Bladesmith, Naismith (nail-smith), Arrowsmith which in turn was shortened to Arsmith,{{cite web|url=http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Arsmith|title=Surname Database: Arsmith Last Name Origin|website=The Internet Surname Database|access-date=8 October 2018}} or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoes). Sixsmith is a variant spelling of a sickle- or scythe-smith.{{cite web|url=http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Sixsmith|title=Surname Database: Sixsmith Last Name Origin|website=The Internet Surname Database|access-date=8 October 2018}} Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith{{cite web|url=http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wildsmith|title=Surname Database: Wildsmith Last Name Origin|website=The Internet Surname Database|access-date=8 October 2018|archive-date=8 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008175405/http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wildsmith|url-status=live}}

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 surnames Smithson and Smisson. Historically, "Smitty" has been a common nickname given to someone with the surname, Smith; in some instances, this usage has passed into "Smitty" being used as a surname itself.Elsdon Coles Smith, The Book of Smith (1979), p. 195, {{ISBN|0399503935}}.

Surnames relating to smiths and blacksmiths are found across the world. When relevant, transliterations are included in parentheses and italicised, and adaptations (i.e. anglicisations or gallicisations) in brackets. Additionally, brief etymologies are noted if a name used in a certain language derives from another language.

{{smiths}}

• List of people with surname Smith
• List of most common surnames in Europe
• Smith Family (disambiguation)
• Smith (given name)
• Smith (taxonomic authority)
• Smith and Jones (disambiguation)
• Psmith

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |title=The Scottish Nation (Volume 3: MAC to ZET) |author-link=William Anderson (Scottish writer) |last=Anderson |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3rQEAAAAIAAJ |access-date=2008-03-04 |year=1863 |publisher=A. Fullerton & Co. |location=Edinburgh |page=479 }}
• {{cite book |title=English and Welsh Surnames |last=Bardsley |first=Charles Wareing |url=https://archive.org/details/adictionaryengl00bardgoog |access-date=2008-03-03 |year=1901 |publisher=Henry Frowde |location=London |page=699 |isbn=0-8063-0022-1 }} The section heading referenced here reads "Smith, Smyth, Smythe", suggesting these to be the most common variants at the time (1901).
• {{cite web |url=http://www.celticfamilymaps.com/index.php?link=Smith&q=node/2 |title=Surname Map for Smith in Britain, Ireland and Mann. |access-date=2010-03-01 |format=map |website=CelticFamilyMaps.com |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305040945/http://celticfamilymaps.com/index.php?link=smith&q=node%2F2 |url-status=live }}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.genealogytoday.com/columns/everyday/020509.html |title=The Mighty Smiths: Dealing With Common Surnames |access-date=2008-03-01 |first=Bob |last=Brooke |date=2006-12-31 |work=Everyday Genealogy |publisher=Genealogy Today, LLC |archive-date=10 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510154143/http://www.genealogytoday.com/columns/everyday/020509.html |url-status=live }}
• {{cite news |last=CBC News |author-link=CBC News |title=Common surnames |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/name-change/common-surnames.html |work=News in Depth |date=2007-07-26 |access-date=2008-03-02 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524191009/http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/name-change/common-surnames.html |url-status=live }}
• {{cite book |author-link=Basil Cottle |last=Cottle |first=Basil |title=Penguin Dictionary of Surnames |place=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Penguin Books |date=1967}}
• {{cite book |last=Dorward |first=David |title=Scottish Surnames |publisher=Collins Celtic (Pocket edition) |date=1998}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.araltas.com/features/smith/ |title=Smith coat of arms and family history |access-date=2008-03-15 |first=Eddie |last=Geoghegan |date=2006-05-26 |website=Araltas.com |quote=At the outset it is important to mention that the spelling of the name as Smith, Smyth, Smithe, Smythe, etc. is of little historical significance. The use of "i" and "y" and the presence or absence of the terminal "e" merely reflect the writing styles of the day. |archive-date=22 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322072442/http://araltas.com/features/smith/ |url-status=live }}
• {{cite web |url=http://howmanyofme.com/search/ |title=How Many of Me? |access-date=2008-03-01 |format=database search result |quote=There are 3,053,623 people in the U.S. with the last name Smith. |website=HowManyofMe.com |archive-date=21 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121135321/http://howmanyofme.com/search/ |url-status=dead }}
• {{Cite book |last=Lower |first=Mark Antony |author-link=Mark Antony Lower |url=https://archive.org/details/patronymicabrit00lowegoog/page/n365/mode/1up |title=Patronymica Britannica: A Dictionary of the Family Names of the United Kingdom |publisher=John Russell Smith |year=1860 |isbn=978-0-7884-0456-6 |location=London |pages=319–321 |language=en |access-date=2008-03-16 }}
• {{cite journal |last=O'Kane |first=Willie |year=1998 |title=Surnames of County Monaghan |journal=Irish Roots |volume=26 |issue=2nd quarter |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/magazine/articles/ir_monaghan.htm |access-date=2008-03-02 |quote=...certain members of the MacGabhann and O Gabhan septs, usually Anglicised as McGowan, took the name Smith on the basis of the name Mac Gobha, 'son of the smith'. |archive-date=23 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023054427/http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/magazine/articles/ir_monaghan.htm |url-status=dead }}
  The URL here is to a reprint on the Irish Ancestors website. Tables of contents for back issues of Irish Roots Magazine are found at https://web.archive.org/web/20091217104309/http://irishroots.ie/Back%20Issues%20List.htm and there are two listings for the title here, one in 'Issue No. 26 (1998 Second quarter)', the other in 'Issue No. 48 (2003 Fourth quarter)'. It is not clear whether the latter is a simple reprint of the former or an update. The reprinted article notes 'From Irish Roots, (No. 28)'.
• {{cite web |url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Surnames%20of%20North%20East%20England.htm |title=Surnames of North East England |access-date=2008-03-01 |first=David |last=Simpson |date=2007-01-30 |work=The North East England History Pages |archive-date=10 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310020603/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Surnames%20of%20North%20East%20England.htm |url-status=live }}
• {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Elsdon C. |title=American Surnames |publisher=Genealogical Publishing Company |date=1997}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.yournotme.com/results.asp?forename=&surname=smith |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111104726/http://www.yournotme.com/results.asp?surname=Smith&forename= |url-status=usurped |archive-date=2006-11-11 |title=Smith surname at YourNotMe |access-date=2008-03-01 |format=database search result |website=YourNotMe.com }}
• US Census Bureau (9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved 25 February 2008.

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• {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/originhistoryofn00lcamer |title=Origin and History of the Name of Smith, With Biographies of All the Most Noted Persons of That Name, And an Account of the Origin of Surnames and Forenames, Together with over Five Hundred Christian Names of Men and Women and Their Significance, The Crescent Family Record |publisher=American Publishers’ Association |year=1902 |location=Chicago, Illinois |language=en |oclc=181292526 |via=Internet Archive}}

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Category:Surnames

Category:English-language surnames

Category:Surnames of English origin

Category:English-language occupational surnames