Show ContentsSmall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Small Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Small

What does the name Small mean?

The name Small was derived from the Old English word "smael" and the Middle English word "smel" which both mean "small, slender, thin" 1

Early Origins of the Small family

The surname Small was first found in Derbyshire at Smalley, a chapelry, in the parish of Morley, union of Belper, hundred of Morleston and Litchurch. 2

However, early records of the name are scattered throughout England: William Smale was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1275; Alexander le Smele was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221; and William le Smale was listed in 1294. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following entries: Robert le Small in Huntingdon; and Henry Smale in Cambridgeshire. Later Willelmus Smale was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, and in 1468, Thomas Smale was listed as rector of Lerling in Norfolk. 3

We would be remiss if we didn't mention the Scottish connection to the name. "A deed of 1283 runs in the name of 'Oliverus et Ricardus Smally prepositi et ceteri prepositi ac cives Glasguenses congregati in placitis burgi que tenebantur apud Glasgu.' " 4 At about the same time, Ricardus Smaley witnessed a sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-1290.

Early History of the Small family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Small research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1438, 1440, 1458, 1530, 1577, 1578, 1596, 1615 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Small History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Small Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Smale, Smail, Smalley, Smaley and others.

Early Notables of the Small family

  • Peter Smalle (fl. 1596-1615), English poet, born in 1578 or the end of 1577, a native of Berkshire...

Small World Ranking

the United States, the name Small is the 556th most popular surname with an estimated 52,227 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Small is ranked the 894th most popular surname with an estimated 5,997 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Small is the 483rd popular surname with an estimated 98 people with that name. 7 Australia ranks Small as 563rd with 6,819 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Small as 346th with 1,831 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Small as 536th with 12,217 people. 10

Small migration to the United States +



Small Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Robert Small, carpenter who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607 12
  • Edward and Francis Small, who settled in Maine in 1620
  • John Small, who settled in Massachusetts in 1635
  • William Small, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 13
  • Henry Small, who settled in Virginia in 1636
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Small Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Small, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 13
  • Margaret Small, who landed in Virginia in 1719 13
  • Richard Small, who landed in New England in 1719 13
  • John Small, who landed in Virginia in 1724 13
  • Elizabeth Small, who arrived in Virginia in 1724 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Small Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Rhodery Small, who arrived in America in 1803 13
  • Nelly Small, aged 30, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 13
  • Kitty Small, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 13
  • Hugh Small, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 13
  • Owen Small, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Small migration to Canada +

Small Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Hanah Small, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Isabelah Small, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Dorril Small, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • William Small, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1756 14
  • Mr. John Small U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Small Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Reuben Small, who settled in Conception Bay, Newfoundland in 1810
  • John Small, who settled in Moreton's Harbour in 1845
  • Mr. James Small who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 16
  • Mr. James Small, aged 50 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Clarendon" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 16
  • Miss. Bridget Small, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Vanilla" departing 28th May 1847 from Limerick, Ireland; the ship arrived on 11th July 1847 but she died on board 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Small migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. John Small, (b. 1774), aged 15, British settler convicted at London, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Small, (1761 - 1850), aged 26, English solider convicted in Exeter, Devon on 14th March 1785, sentenced for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Charlotte" leaving on 13th May 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 22nd January 1788 12
Following the First and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Small Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Small Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Small, (Scamp), English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 19
  • Miss Rebecca Small who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 20
  • Jacob Small, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 21
  • Mr. George Small, English convict who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 22
  • Robert Small, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1848 23
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Small migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Small Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • David Small, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1839 aboard the ship Chelydra
  • Charles Small, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr Small, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Martha Ridgway
  • Charles Small, aged 36, a saw miller, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
  • Margaret Small, aged 33, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Small (post 1700) +

  • William J. Small (1926-2020), American broadcast journalist, executive, author, and educator, President of NBC News (1979–1982)
  • Arthur Adams Small Jr. (1933-2015), American politician and lawyer, Member of the Iowa State Senate (1979-1987)
  • Richard W. "Dickie" Small (1945-2014), American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer who had 1,182 career wins
  • Michael Small (1939-2003), American film score composer
  • Edward Small (1891-1977), American film producer
  • Bertrice Small (b. 1937), American best selling writer of historical and romance novels
  • Andrew Small MBE (b. 1993), British Paralympic athlete
  • Mr. John Godfrey Small, British sheriff, held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1914 to 1915
  • Arthur Francis Small CNZM (1946-2021), New Zealand engineer and national president of Scouting New Zealand, as well as the vice-chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Royal Oak
  • William Small (d. 1939), British Chief Petty Officer Cook with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24
  • Mr. William Small (d. 1912), aged 40, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 25
  • Mr. Edward Samuel Small (b. 1869), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 26
  • Mr. Edwin John Small (b. 1892), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 27
  • Mr. William Windsor Small (1896-1917), British 3rd Officer, who died aboard the ship "SS Mendi" when she was struck off the coast of the Isle of Wight, England on the 21st February 1917
  • ... (Another 1 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Small +

  • Buxton Forbes Laurie of Southcote by N.J. Vine Hall.
  • Descendants of Margry Lemond and James Nicholas Small by Haskell Pruett.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  12. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  13. 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)
  14. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  15. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  16. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 55)
  17. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 95)
  18. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charlotte
  19. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  21. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
  22. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore
  23. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Hooghly.htm
  24. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  25. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  26. Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm

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