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
48,991,093
Historical Documents & Family Trees with Smith
Name Distribution of Smith Families
MAP:
England & Wales
Scotland
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 Emigration Information (US)
Click on a circle in the chart to view Smith emigration records
You can find out when most of the Smith families immigrated
to the United States.
You can focus your search to emigration records dating from that era.
Emigration 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
Smith Emigration Information (AU)
Click on a circle in the chart to view Smith emigration records
You can find out when most of the Smith families immigrated
to Australia.
You can focus your search to emigration records dating from that era.
Emigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival and destination.
View all Smith emigration records >
from the Australian Convict Transportation Registers 1787-1868
Smith Family Occupations
from 1881 UK 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.
View all Smith census records >
Military Service by Smith
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