Smith (surname)
Encyclopedia
Smith is an English family name
(surname
) originating in England. It is the most common surname in the United Kingdom
, Australia
and the United States
, the second most common surname in Canada
, and the fifth most common surname in Ireland
. The surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English and Irish descent, but is also a common surname among African American
s, which can be attributed to black slaves adopting the name during the era of slavery and after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
. At least 3 million people in the United States share the surname Smith, and more than 500,000 people share it in the United Kingdom. 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"; and sufficiently common on the (Europe
an) continent (in various forms) to be "...common in most countries of Europe."
times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham
, North East England
, was recorded in 975. Another possible source is that "smite" referred to the occupation of being a warrior.
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:
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, many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with Anglicized versions of their birth names; the German Schmidt was often Anglicized to Smith not only during the World War
s, but also commonly in times of peace, and the equivalent Polish
Kowalski
was Anglicized to Smith as well.
text, where "Smith" might look like "Snuth" or "Simth". 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'. The true reasoning I do not know, but variations may tell the uniqueness.
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, Redsmith, and Greensmith (colour when oxidised) from those who worked with copper (and the more obvious Coppersmith
), 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, or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoe
s). Sixsmith has nothing to do with six smiths but it is variant spelling of a sickle or scythe smith. Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith
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.
"), such as the Italian
words fabbro and ferraio, are the root of last names common in several parts of Europe.
and Scotland
, the word for smith, gobha, is found in the surname MacGowan/McGowan. This surname is an Anglicised form of Mac Gobhann (Scottish Gaelic), Mac Gabhann (Irish), meaning "son of the smith". In England the surname Goff
, which is common in East Anglia
, is derived from the Breton
and Cornish
goff a cognate of the Gaelic gobha. This particular surname was brought to England by Bretons
, following the Norman Conquest of England
.
and Hungarian
languages contain a family of surnames that similarly derive from a common root referring to the metalworking occupation.
, 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 by Li.
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
(surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
) originating in England. It is the most common surname in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the second most common surname in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the fifth most common surname in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English and Irish descent, but is also a common surname among African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s, which can be attributed to black slaves adopting the name during the era of slavery and after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
. At least 3 million people in the United States share the surname Smith, and more than 500,000 people share it in the United Kingdom. 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"; and sufficiently common on the (Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an) continent (in various forms) to be "...common in most countries of Europe."
Etymology and history
The name originally derives 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 smiððe from the Proto-Germanic smiðjon. The use of Smith as an occupational surname dates back to Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, was recorded in 975. Another possible source is that "smite" referred to the occupation of being a warrior.
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:
- It is not uncommon for people in English-speaking countries to adopt the surname Smith in order to maintain a secret identitySecret identityA secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
, when they wish to avoid being found. Smith is an extremely common name among English Gypsies; see also John Smith. - During the colonization of North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, some Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
took the name for use in dealing with colonists. - During the period of slaverySlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the United States, many other slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their emancipationEmancipation ProclamationThe Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
. - During the World Wars, many German AmericanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
s Anglicised the common and equivalent German surname Schmidt to Smith to avoid discrimination.
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
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, many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with Anglicized versions of their birth names; the German Schmidt was often Anglicized to Smith not only during the World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s, but also commonly in times of peace, and the equivalent Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
Kowalski
Kowalski
Kowalski is the second most common surname in Poland . During the previous century it was the most common name. Jan Kowalski are synonymous with John Doe or John Smith in English-speaking countries....
was Anglicized to Smith as well.
Variations
Variations of the surname Smith also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English term, and versions in other languages.English variations
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", which would have been used in surnames based on location rather than occupation (in other words, for someone living near or at the smithy). 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 blackletterBlackletter
Blackletter, also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to well into the 17th century. It continued to be used for the German language until the 20th century. Fraktur is a notable script of this type, and sometimes...
text, where "Smith" might look like "Snuth" or "Simth". 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
Smither
Smither is a surname. People so named include:* Beri Smither , American model* Bob Smither , Libertarian Party Texas congressional candidate* Chris Smither , American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter...
and Smithers
Smithers (name)
- People :*Alan Smithers , British educationalist*Sir Alfred Waldron Smithers , British financier and parliamentarian*Collier Twentyman Smithers , painter*Don Smithers , music historian and musician...
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'. The true reasoning I do not know, but variations may tell the uniqueness.
Other variations focus on specialisms within the profession; for example Blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, from those who worked predominantly with iron, Whitesmith
Whitesmith
A whitesmith is a person who works with "white" or light-coloured metals such as tin and pewter. While blacksmiths work mostly with hot metal, whitesmiths do the majority of their work on cold metal .The term is also applied to metalworkers who do only finishing work – such as filing or polishing –...
, from those who worked with tin (and the more obvious Tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
), Brownsmith, Redsmith, and Greensmith (colour when oxidised) from those who worked with copper (and the more obvious Coppersmith
Coppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
), Silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
and Goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
– and those based on the goods produced, such as Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, Bladesmith
Bladesmith
Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworking for knife and sword handles, and often...
, Naismith (nail-smith), Arrowsmith which in turn was shortened to Arsmith, or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
s). Sixsmith has nothing to do with six smiths but it is variant spelling of a sickle or scythe smith. Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith
The patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
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
Smithson
Smithson is a common English and American surname that may refer to:*Alison and Peter Smithson, British architects*Forrest Smithson, American athlete*Gerald Smithson, English cricketer...
and Smisson.
Other languages
Other languages with different words for the occupation of smith also produced surnames based on that derivation.Germanic languages
- SchmidSchmidSchmid is a German surname that is a cognate of "Smith", an occupational surname for a blacksmith.-People with the surname Schmid:* Alex P. Schmid, Dutch scientist on terror* Carlo Schmid , German politician...
, Schmidt, Schmitt, SchmitzSchmitzSchmitz is a common German surname , which may refer to:* Becky Schmitz, an Iowa State Senator for Iowa's 45th district elected in 2006* Bob Schmitz , American football player* Bruno Schmitz , German architect...
, SchmiedSchmiedSchmied is a surname of German origin. Its meaning is derived from the German word Schmied, which is a smith . Common variations are Schmitt, Schmit, Schmidt, and Smith.- Changes over time :...
(GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) - Schmieder (YiddishYiddish languageYiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
) - De Smid, De Smedt, Desmedt, De Smet, Smeets, Smets (Southern DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) - Smit, Smid, Smidt, Smed, De Smet (Northern DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
)
Romance languages
Words derived from the Latin term for smith (literally "one who works with ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
"), such as the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
words fabbro and ferraio, are the root of last names common in several parts of Europe.
- ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: Fabbri, Fabbro, Fabris, FerraroFerraroFerraro is a surname of Italian origin and may refer to:*Chris Ferraro , NHL hockey player, brother of Peter Ferraro*Christine Ferraro, writer for Sesame Street*Emanuele Ferraro , Italian footballer...
, FerrariFerrari (disambiguation)Ferrari is a common Italian surname that etymologically means "blacksmith" .Ferrari may refer to:... - FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
:LefebvreLefebvreLefebvre is a common northern French surname. It is also spelled Lefèvre, LeFebvre, LeFèvre, and is used in the related forms Lefeuvre , Lefébure ....
LefèvreLefèvreLefèvre, Lefevre, LeFevre, Le Fevre, or Le Fèvre is a common family name, particularly among French-speaking populations. It means smith...
, Lefeuvre, LefébureLefébureLefébure is a Norman-Picard surname, variation of Lefebvre and may refer to:* Estelle Lefébure, French model* Eugène Lefébure, French Egyptologist* Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély, French organist and composer* Yvonne Lefébure, French pianist...
, FavreFavreFavre is a French surname, and may refer to:*Brett Favre , retired American football player *Cristina Favre-Moretti , Swiss ski mountaineer*Deanna Favre , wife of Brett Favre and American activist...
, Faber, Faure, Favret, Favrette or Dufaure - SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Herrera, Herrero, FerreroFerreroFerrero is a surname of Italian and Spanish origin that means "smith," the person who works with iron, and may refer to:Persons:*Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora , Italian general and statesman*Benita Ferrero-Waldner Ferrero is a surname of Italian (from Piedmont) and Spanish origin that means "smith,"... - RomanianRomanian languageRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
: Feraru, Fieraru - PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Ferreiro, Ferreira - CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
: FerrerFerrer (surname)Ferrer is a surname of English and Catalan origin, considered to be originally English. Ferrer is an occupational surname for a blacksmith or ironworker - derived from the Latin ferrarius - and thus shares a common occupational derivation with the most common English surname, Smith. It is one of...
, Ferré, Farré, Fabre, Fabra - Latin: Faber
Celtic languages
In IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the word for smith, gobha, is found in the surname MacGowan/McGowan. This surname is an Anglicised form of Mac Gobhann (Scottish Gaelic), Mac Gabhann (Irish), meaning "son of the smith". In England the surname Goff
Goff
Goff is a surname with several distinct origins. It is the 946th most common family name in the United States. When the surname originates from England it is derived from an occupational name from German, Cornish and Breton the German Goff, meaning a godly person, a strong warrior, or a priest. The...
, which is common in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, is derived from the Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
and Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
goff a cognate of the Gaelic gobha. This particular surname was brought to England by Bretons
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
, following the Norman Conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
.
Slavic and nearby languages
The Slavic, RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
languages contain a family of surnames that similarly derive from a common root referring to the metalworking occupation.
- SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Kovač, Kovačević - RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Kovalёv (Ковалёв), KuznetsovKuznetsovKuznetsov, Kuznyetsov, or Kuznetsoff or Kuznetsova is the third most common Russian surname, an equivalent of the English "Smith" ....
(Кузнецов) - BulgarianBulgarian languageBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
: Kovachev (Ковачев) - CzechCzech languageCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
: KovářKovarKovar is a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy designed to be compatible with the thermal expansion characteristics of borosilicate glass in order to allow direct mechanical connections over a range of temperatures... - SlovakSlovak languageSlovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
: KováčKovacKovač , meaning "forger" in Slavic languages and in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia...
and derived Kováčik, Kovačovič - PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Kowal and its place name derivative KowalskiKowalskiKowalski is the second most common surname in Poland . During the previous century it was the most common name. Jan Kowalski are synonymous with John Doe or John Smith in English-speaking countries....
, and patronymics Kowalik and Kowalczyk - Languages of the former YugoslaviaSouth Slavic languagesThe South Slavic languages comprise one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches by a belt of German, Hungarian and Romanian speakers...
: KovačKovacKovač , meaning "forger" in Slavic languages and in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia...
and its patronymics KovačićKovacicKovačić, alternatively spelled Kovacic in English or Kovacsics in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia. It is also very common in Slovenia where it is usually spelled Kovačič. Etymologically it is a patronymic derivative of the surname Kovač, which is a cognate of the English surname Smith,...
, KovačičKovacicKovačić, alternatively spelled Kovacic in English or Kovacsics in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia. It is also very common in Slovenia where it is usually spelled Kovačič. Etymologically it is a patronymic derivative of the surname Kovač, which is a cognate of the English surname Smith,...
and KovačevićKovacevicKovačević is a South Slavic surname derived from Kovač, which means smith. It may refer to:*Abid Kovačević, Bosnian footballer*Anto Kovačević , Croatian right-wing politician.*Ante Kovacevic , Australian footballer... - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: KovacsKovacsKovacs or Kovács, or in its Slavic variant spelling Kovač, is a common family name. Kovács means smith in the Hungarian language; the word came from Slavonic Kovač, and has the same meaing in some Slavic languages.The name translates to the English name Smith...
or KovácsKovacsKovacs or Kovács, or in its Slavic variant spelling Kovač, is a common family name. Kovács means smith in the Hungarian language; the word came from Slavonic Kovač, and has the same meaing in some Slavic languages.The name translates to the English name Smith...
(a Hungarian spelling of Slovak KováčKovacKovač , meaning "forger" in Slavic languages and in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia...
). - UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
: KovalenkoKovalenkoKovalenko, Covalenko is a common Ukrainian surname, used commonly to describe a blacksmith and is the equivalent of "Smith" in the English-speaking world, derived from the root "koval" meaning literally "forge"...
(Коваленко), Kovalchuk (Ковальчук), KovalKovalKoval is a Ukrainian language surname. The words means literally "forge", is commonly used to describe a blacksmith and is the equivalent of "Smith" in the English-speaking world...
(Коваль)
Other
- IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
equivalent: Macgouran - ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: HaddadHaddadHaddad or Hadad is a common family name and personal name. Hadad was also a Semitic storm-god.The original Haddad name means Blacksmith in ancient Semitic. The Haddad name dates back to the Phoenician era of the Eastern Mediterranean... - EstonianEstonian languageEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
: Sepp - FinnishFinnish languageFinnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
: Seppä, Seppälä - GeorgianGeorgian languageGeorgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
: Mchedlidze, Mchedlishvili (მჭედლიძე, მჭედლიშვილი) - GreekModern GreekModern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
: Σιδεράς, translated as Sideras, Sedaris or Sideris - LatvianLatvian languageLatvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
: Kalejs - LingalaLingala languageLingala, or Ngala, is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo , as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers...
: Motuli - PunjabiPunjabi languagePunjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
: LoharLoharLohar is an ethnic sub-caste found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma,... - SyriacSyriac languageSyriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
: Hadodo, Hadad, HaddadHaddadHaddad or Hadad is a common family name and personal name. Hadad was also a Semitic storm-god.The original Haddad name means Blacksmith in ancient Semitic. The Haddad name dates back to the Phoenician era of the Eastern Mediterranean... - TurkishTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: Demirci - BalineseBalinese languageBalinese or simply Bali is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by 3.3 million people on the Indonesian island of Bali, as well as northern Nusa Penida, western Lombok and eastern Java...
: Pande
Comparative note
Although Smith is the most common surname in the English-speaking world, it is held by fewer than five million people worldwide. Its popularity is dwarfed by the world's most common surname LiLi (surname)
Li is a common transliteration of several Chinese family names, including 李 , the most common Chinese family name, and the Korean family name Lee...
, which is held by over one hundred and eight million people. Indeed, each of the twenty most common last names in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
represents more people than all of the world's Smiths.
Smith was the most common surname in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
until 2006, when it was overtaken by Li.
See also
- Smith (taxonomic authority)
- Smith and Jones (disambiguation)
- SmithsonSmithsonSmithson is a common English and American surname that may refer to:*Alison and Peter Smithson, British architects*Forrest Smithson, American athlete*Gerald Smithson, English cricketer...
(son of Smith) - Mayor Smith (disambiguation)
- General Smith (disambiguation)
- Governor Smith (disambiguation)
- President Smith (disambiguation)
- Judge Smith (disambiguation)Judge Smith (disambiguation)-Judges:*Peter Smith , Sir Peter Winston Smith , judge of the High Court of England*Robert Smith , Justice Robert Smith *William Smith , William Smith was a judge of the Province of New York...
External links
- Smith SurnameDNA Project
- Origin and history of the name of Smith, with biographies of all the most noted persons of that name, Chicago, Ill., American Publishers' Association, 1902. via Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Smith (surname) in the world
- Surname Database: Smith