Smyth
An older spelling of Smith, the common occupational surname for a metalworker.
The #3,741 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,602 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Smyth is an old spelling of Smith, from Old English smiþ, meaning a metalworker or craftsman in iron. The same root later produced many spellings, including Smyth and Smythe, while the pronunciation stayed close to "smith." In historical records, the surname appears in forms such as William le Smyth in the 13th century.
History
This surname is simply one of the many medieval spellings of Smith, so it became common wherever the occupation itself was common. The form Smyth was especially frequent in earlier records and often survived as a fixed family spelling even after standard "Smith" became dominant. Because Smith is one of the most widespread surnames in the English-speaking world, Smyth is well attested in Britain and later in Ireland and North America as a hereditary variant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early genealogical and parish records often preserve Smyth as a distinct family spelling even when the pronunciation was the same as Smith.
From the historical record
“SMYE, a var. of Smee, q.v. SMYTH SMYTHE I William le Smyth. — Hund. Rolls, A.D. 1274. W: Srhythe et alii. — Cal. Inq. ad q. Damn., A.D. 1315-16. Wher {"is is not a smy^, Jie sone of Marie . . . ?— 5f. Mark, vi. 3 : Wycliffe.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)