Smeed Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Smeed history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Smeed history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Smeed family originally lived at the village of Smeeth, in the county of Kent.

Early Origins of the Smeed family

The surname Smeed was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat during the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Smeed family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smeed research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1275, 1279, 1573 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Smeed History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Smeed Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Smeed, Smead, Smee, Smeeth, Smethe, Smeath, Smye and many more.

Early Notables of the Smeed family

More information is included under the topic Early Smeed Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Smeed family to Ireland

Some of the Smeed family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Smeed family

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Smeed George Smee, who sailed to Virginia in 1665; William Smead sailed to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1658; Mr. Smede sailed to San Francisco in 1850; George Smee moved to Mobile Alabama in 1879..