Smith
An occupational surname meaning a metalworker, originally the most basic and widespread craft name in English.
The #1 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 126 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Smith comes from the old Germanic word for a metalworker or craftsman. In English it goes back to Old English smiþ, and related Scandinavian forms such as Old Norse smiðr; the core idea is simply “one who works with metal.” The surname began as a job description, then became hereditary, as happened with many medieval craft names.
History
The name is documented very early and became one of the most common surnames in England and Scotland. Historical writers noted that surnames such as Smith could appear alongside the Latin equivalent Faber in medieval records. Because the occupation was so common, Smith later became the standard English example of a hereditary trade surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
It is the classic English surname used in dictionaries and genealogy books as the default example of a trade name.
From the historical record
“[the genit. of O.N. smiS-r + b;f-r] SMITH (Eng. and Scand.) i Worker with the Hammer [O.E. smi} or smi^ = O.N. smiS-r (=Goth. smi^a\ Se Smi^ secg]j: Hwanon J>a.m yrflinge sylan-scear ojj|;e culter, fie n& gade haefj>, baton of crsefte minon? Hwanon flscere ancgel, ofl'e sce6-wyrhtan cfel, ojjfie s6a- mere ncfedl…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)