Smith
A close-up of a blacksmith at work. Smith became a popular last name for those with this occupation
Pronunciation/ˈsmɪθ/
Origin
Word/nameOld English
Meaningderived from smitan, meaning "to smite"
Region of originEngland
Other names
Variant form(s)numerous
[1][2]

Smith is an occupational surname[3] originating in England. It is the most prevalent surname in the United Kingdom,[1][4] the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand,[5] and the fifth most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. In the United States, the surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English, Scottish, and Irish descent,[6] but is also a common surname among African-Americans, which can be attributed either to African slaves having been given the surname of their masters, or to being an occupational name, as some southern African-Americans took this surname to reflect their or their father's trade.[7] 2,442,977 Americans shared the surname Smith at the time of the 2010 census,[8] and more than 500,000 people shared it in the United Kingdom as of 2006.[9] 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";[10] and sufficiently common on the (European) continent (in various forms) to be "common in most countries of Europe".[11]

Etymology and history

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.[12]

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 may be exaggerated,[13] 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

Variations of the surname Smith also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English name, 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,[14] which would have been used in surnames based on location rather than occupation (in other words, for someone living near or at the smithy).[15]

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.[14] 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."[10]

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.[15] Additional derivatives include Smithman, Smithson and Smithfield (see below).[15] Athersmith may derive from at the Smith.[16]

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,[17] or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoes).[15] Sixsmith is a variant spelling of a sickle- or scythe-smith.[18] Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith[19]

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.[20]

Other languages

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.

Germanic

LanguageSurnames
AfrikaansSmit, Smidt
DanishSmed, Smidt (from German)
DutchSmit, Smits, Smid, Smidt
FlemishDe Smedt, Desmedt, De Smet, Desmet, Smets
FrisianSmid
GermanKowalitz (from Slavic); Schmidt, Schmied,[11] Schmiedel, Schmieden
Alemannic: Schmid, Schmied, Schmed
Bavarian: Schmid, Schmidl, Schmied, Schmitt, Schmitzer
Franconian: Schmitt, Schmitz, Schmich
Low German: Schmidt, Schmidtke, Schmick
LimburgishSmeets
LuxembourgishSchmit, Schmitz
Yiddishשמידט (Schmidt), שמיט (Schmitt), שמיץ (Schmitz)

Romance

LanguageSurnames
CatalanFerrer, Ferré, Farré, Fabra
FrenchFavre, Faber, Favret
Northern: Lefebvre, Lefèvre, Lefébure
Western: Lefeuvre
GalicianFerreiro, Ferreira
ItalianFerraro
Northern: Fabbro, Fabris, Ferrari, Ferrero
Central: Fabbri
Southern: Ferrara, Ferrera
NormanLefebvre, Lefèvre
Anglo-Norman: Lefebvre [Feaver], Ferror [Farrar, Farrer, Ferrar, Farrow]
OccitanFabre, Fabré, Faure, Fauré, Dufaure
PortugueseFerreira
RomanianFeraru, Fieraru; Covaci, Covalciuc, Covaliov, Covali, Coval (from Slavic)
SpanishHerrero, Herrera, Ferrera, Ferrero

Celtic

LanguageSurnames
Bretonar Gov [Le Goff], ar Govig [Le Goffic]
Cornishan Gov [Angove, Goff, Goffe]; [Trengove]
IrishMac Gabhann [McGowan, MacGowan, McGouran][21]
Scottish GaelicGobha [Gow], Mac a' Ghobhainn [McGowan, MacGowan, McGavin[lower-alpha 1]][21]
WelshGof [Goff[lower-alpha 2]][22]

Slavic

LanguageSurnames
BelarusianКавалевіч (Kavalevich), Кавалёў (Kavalyow), Кавалёнак (Kavalyonak), Кавальчук (Kavalchuk), Кавалюк (Kavalyuk), Коваль (Koval)
BosnianKovač, Kovačić, Kovačević; Demirdžić (from Ottoman Turkish)
BulgarianКовачевски (Kovačevski), Ковачев (Kovachev), Ковачино (Kovachino)
CroatianKovač, Kovačić, Kovačević, Kovačev, Kovačec, Kovaček
CzechKovář, Kovařík; Šmíd (from German); Šmicer (from Bavarian)
KashubianKowalski, Kowalewski
MacedonianКовачевски (Kovačevski), Ковачев (Kovačev)
PolishKowal, Kowalewicz, Kowalski, Kowalik, Kowalczyk, Kowalewski, Kuźniar, Kuźniarski; Szmidt (from German)
RussianКовалевич (Kovalevich), Ковалёв (Kovalyov), Ковальков (Kovalkov), Ковалевский (Kovalevskiy), Кузнецкий (Kuznetskiy), Кузнецов (Kuznetsov), Кузнецовский (Kuznetsovskiy), Кузнечевский (Kuznechevskiy), Кузнеченко (Kuznechenko), Кузнеченков (Kuznechenkov), Кузнечихин (Kuznechikhin); Шмидов (Shmidov) (from German or Yiddish)
RusynКовалькевич (Kovalkevich), Ковалёвич (Kovalyovich), Кузняк (Kuzniak)
SerbianКовачевић (Kovačević), Ковач (Kovač), Ковачев (Kovačev)
SlovakKováč, Kováčik, Kovačovič, Kovalík
SloveneKovač, Kovačič
UkrainianКовалевич (Kovalevych), Коваленко (Kovalenko), Ковальчук (Kovalchuk), Коваль (Koval), Ковальков (Kovalkov), Ковалевський (Kovalevskyi), Ковалюк (Kovalyuk)
Upper SorbianKowar, Kowarjec

Other European

LanguageSurnames
AlbanianNallbani
EstonianSepp
FinnishSeppä, Seppälä, Seppänen
GreekΣιδεράς (Sideras)
HungarianKovács (from Slavic), Koufax (corruption)
LatvianKalējs; Šmits (from German)
LithuanianKalvaitis, Kavaliauskas; Kovalskis (from Slavic)

South Asian

LanguageSurnames
Bengaliকর্মকার (Karmakar)
Hindiलोहार (Lohar)
Kannadaಕಮ್ಮಾರ (Kammara)
Malayalamകമ്മാരൻ (Kammaaran)
Nepaliकामी (Kami)
Oriyaକମାର (Kamara)
Punjabiਲੁਹਾਰ (Lohar)
Sanskritअयस्काम (Ayaskama), कर्मार (Karmara), लोहकार (Lohakara), व्योकार (Vyokara)
Tamilகம்மாளர் (Kammalar)
Teluguకమ్మరి (Kammari)

Other

LanguageSurnames
Arabicحداد (Haddad)
AzerbaijaniDəmirçi
AramaicHaddad
ArmenianԴարբինյան (Darbinyan, Tarpinyan)
BalinesePande
Georgianმჭედლიძე (Mchedlidze), მჭედლიშვილი (Mchedlishvili)
Hebrewחדד (Haddad)
Japanese鍛冶屋 (Kajiya)
KazakhTömirshi
LingalaMotuli
MedianEsmi
Persianزرگر (Zargar)
Syriacܚܕܕܐ (Hadodo, Hadad, Haddad)[11]
TatarTümerche
TurkishDemirci
UyghurTömürchi

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Elgin and Galloway
  2. ↑ common in East Anglia in England

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Services, Good Stuff IT. "Smith surname meaning, origin, etymology and distribution in Great Britain". Britishsurnames.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "1990 Census Name Files". 30 March 2005. Archived from the original on 30 March 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  3. ↑ "SMITH — Surname Meaning and Origin". Genealogy.about.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  4. ↑ "UK surnames ranking". Surname Map of UK.
  5. ↑ "Genealogy — Frequently Occurring Surnames From Census 2000". 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  6. ↑ Citation: Brooke, 2006.
  7. ↑ Franklin Carter Smith, Emily Anne Crom, A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors (2009), pp. 109–110.
  8. ↑ United States Census Bureau. "". 27 December 2016. Accessed 3 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Surname Profiler". Ucl.ac.uk. 18 January 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  10. 1 2 Bardsley. English and Welsh Surnames. 1901.
  11. 1 2 3 Citation: Anderson, 1863.
  12. ↑ Citation: Simpson, 2007.
  13. ↑ USCIS Home Page Archived 22 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  14. 1 2 Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Citation: Lower, 1860.
  16. ↑ "Surname Database: Athersmith Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "Surname Database: Arsmith Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Surname Database: Sixsmith Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Surname Database: Wildsmith Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  20. ↑ Elsdon Coles Smith, The Book of Smith (1979), p. 195, ISBN 0399503935.
  21. 1 2 "Mcgowan Name Meaning & Mcgowan Family History at Ancestry.com". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  22. ↑ "Goff Name Meaning & Goff Family History at Ancestry.com". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

Bibliography

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