Given name & surname
Smith
“a blacksmith”
Smith is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a blacksmith.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a blacksmith.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
The English surname has an occupational origin, referring to a smith or metalworker.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Smith through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5,664
- 5,475 boys · 189 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 174 babies
- 2025
- 128
- #1,483 for boys · #11,798 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 120 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,483 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 162 in 2016. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, North Carolina had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (18). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,999 as a first name in 2020; 2,369,644 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Smith’s family of names
In English usage, Smith as a surname has a nickname in Smitty. In English usage, Smith shares an earlier linguistic root with SMIT. Smith has a related form in Smedt.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Smith has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Smith comes from · 11 names
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 18
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Smith
- Smith ThompsonUnited States federal judge (1768-1843)
- Smith WigglesworthBritish evangelist (1859-1947)
- Smith ChoAmerican actressborn 1985
- Smith BallewAmerican actor, singer and orchestra leader (1902-1984)
- Smith StreeterAmerican roque player (1851–1930)
- Smith W. BrookhartAmerican politician (1869–1944)
- Smith Ely Jr.Mayor of New York City and U.S. Congressman (1825-1911)
- Smith AugustinHaitian diplomat and politician
- Smith S. TurnerAmerican politician (1842-1898)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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