Smiths Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Smiths began among the descendants of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. It was a name for a smithy. Although Smiths appears to be an occupational name for a blacksmith, it has been suggested that when surnames came into use in Scotland, several different families simply 'took on' the name whether they had been blacksmiths or not. Thus, Smiths is a classic example of a polygenetic surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the Smiths family

The surname Smiths was first found in northern England and Scotland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. In trying to establish a single source for this amazing, monumentally prolific surname Smith, it is asserted that they descended from Neil Cromb, a Chieftain who flourished in 1150, third son of Murdoch, Chief of the Clan Chattan, a confederation of twenty-six Clans of which Smith was a member Clan.

Faber and Ferro were Latin equivalents of the name Smith which were used in medieval documents. William faber de Karel witnessed legal proceedings c. 1250. William the Smith served as a juror during an inquest held at Traquair in 1274. In Aberdeen there lived an Alan Smyth in 1398. Finally, a Patrick Smyth of Scotland is noted as being confined in the Tower of London in 1401.

Early History of the Smiths family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smiths research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1660, 1665, 1668, 1699, 1720, 1853 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Smiths History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smiths Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Smiths has appeared Smith, Smyth, Smythe and others.

Early Notables of the Smiths family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Smiths Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Smiths family to Ireland

Some of the Smiths family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smiths migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Smiths name:

Smiths Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Smiths, aged 26, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1842 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)