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Smith Name Meaning, Origins & History

Smith

Pronunciation: SMITH

Meaning Blacksmith Origin Old English Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#1,483
TREND
101
GIRLS RANK
#11,798
TREND
175
Peak Years
2016, 2015, 2017
Lowest Years
1971, 1897, 1901
Energy Archetype
Original & Spiritually Intense

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Smith in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Smith

  • More than 5 thousand babies named Smith: U.S. records list 5,663 babies given the name Smith from 1880 through 2025. Even 189 girls received the name Smith - about 1 girl for every 29 boys.

What Does the Name Smith Mean?

Smith is an English occupational name meaning "metalworker." It comes from the Old English noun smið, meaning "smith" or "worker in metal," which descends from the Proto-Germanic *smithaz, a term for a craftsman who shapes metal. The same root appears in Old Norse smiðr, Old High German smid, and Old Frisian smith, and it lies behind the German Schmidt and Schmied and the Dutch Smit. The literal sense is a worker in metal: an ironworker (blacksmith), a goldsmith, or a tinsmith, depending on the metal. The surname is usually associated with the blacksmith, the most common metalworker in a medieval village.

Smith Name History & Origins

Smith began as an occupational byname in medieval England. As hereditary surnames spread among the English between roughly the 12th and 14th centuries, people were commonly identified by their trade, and the smith was a familiar and necessary figure in nearly every settlement. A man recorded as le Smith or with the Middle English smyth passed the name to his children, and it became fixed. Because almost every community needed someone to work iron, the name arose independently in many places, which helps account for how common it became.

Spelling was not standardized for centuries. Forms such as Smyth and Smythe survive alongside Smith, and the same occupational word produced cognate surnames in other Germanic languages, including Schmidt in German. Smith also became a given name in the English-speaking world, mainly as a transferred use of the surname, and it has been used as a first name in the United States, sometimes to preserve a family name.

How Popular is the Name Smith?

Smith recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2016. Its best rank was #326 in 1885.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Smith Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Smith's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Smith's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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