Smethe Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Smethe family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Smethe family originally lived at the village of Smeeth, in the county of Kent.

Early Origins of the Smethe family

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

Early History of the Smethe family

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

Smethe 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 Smethe family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Richard Smethe, prominent 13th century landholder

Migration of the Smethe family to Ireland

Some of the Smethe 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 Smethe family

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Smethe: 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..