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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
The name Smartt has a history dating as far back as the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was referred to as smeart which meant that the original bearer was quick and active. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. Nickname surnames were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event.
The surname Smartt was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Smartt research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1422, 1488, 1569, 1612, 1624 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Smartt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Smartt have been found, including Smart, Smert, Smarte, Smartt and others.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Smartt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Smartt is the 12,319th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Smartt, or a variant listed above: John Smart who settled in Massachusetts in 1635; another John settled in Jamaica in 1670; another John settled in Barbados in 1680 with his servants and brother Samuel also settling with his wife, child, and servants.