Small
A nickname surname for someone of small stature or slight build.
The #861 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,678 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Small comes from Old English and Middle English words meaning “small,” “slender,” or “little.” As a surname, it was originally a descriptive nickname for a person of short stature or slight build. Older spellings include Smale and other archaic forms.
History
The name appears in English records under several spellings, especially Smale. In Ireland, some families adopted Small as the English equivalent of the Gaelic surname O'Caoiltigh, which is linked to a word meaning “slender” or “small.” The surname is now widespread in English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers also noted Small as a translation-name in Ireland, not just a straightforward English nickname.
From the historical record
“Cp. Small, Smale. SMALL (Eng.) Litile, Slender [M.E. smal(le, stnaill, etc., O.E. smcel (= O.Sax. O.H.Ger. and Scand. smal\ This name has been used as the Eng. equivalent of the Irish Keelty (O'Caoiltigh) [f. Ir. caol, small]. SMALLBONE 1 (Eng.) the second element”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)