The Smallwood surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,717 people carried this name — #1,926 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 15,700 people counted. That is up 3% from 18,227 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Smallwood surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Smallwood’.

An early record he cites: Elizabetha Smallwode, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 698 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

43 families named Smallwood, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 197 people lived in those households, 4.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maryland 23
Pennsylvania 7
Virginia 7
North Carolina 5
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 262 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Smallwood in American newspapers,
1895–1925.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Smallwood
Daily Kennebec Journal 1895-01-19
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Smallwood
The Portland Daily Press 1895-01-19
Newspaper page from The Buffalo Bulletin carrying the name Smallwood
The Buffalo Bulletin 1925-07-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 45,575 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Smallwood in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

7,033 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Smallwood. The most, 1,661, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,959
New South Wales 2,364
Victoria 722
South Australia 512
Western Australia 375
Tasmania 78
ACT (Canberra) 10

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Smallwood.

Who carried it

People named Smallwood,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Bessie Smallwood Shields
    Bessie Smallwood Shields d. 1932 · journalist
  • Bart F. Smallwood d. 1985 · community organizer
  • Edith Maude Smallwood d. 1935
  • Louisa Smallwood d. 1878
  • Frank Smallwood d. 1942
  • Mathew Smallwood 1611–1683

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Smallwood,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,208 records

1,208 records of the Smallwood name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 604
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 271
  • Other U.S. records 333
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George F. Smallwood

    Born 1916 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; shipping clerk from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1978, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Howard I. Smallwood

    Born 1930; from Pike County, Kentucky. U.S. Army, carpenter; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Smallwood

    Arrived at New York in 1869 aboard the England from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 16; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,208 records for Smallwood in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia278 records

278 records of the Smallwood name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 130
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 69
  • Other Australian records 79
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elizabeth Smallwood

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1853. Married 1854 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Benjamin Smallwood

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Nithsdale, arriving 1830; ticket of leave 1834. Native of Staffordshire.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Smallwood

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Champion of the Seas, aged 10; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 278 records for Smallwood in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada58 records

58 records of the Smallwood name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 23
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
  • Other Canadian records 24
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Robert Smallwood

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Clinton, bound for Annapolis and St Johns, aged 42.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Reginald Percival Smallwood

    Buried in 1973 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 46.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Kenneth Smallwood

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 58 records for Smallwood in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom22 records

22 records of the Smallwood name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 4
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Smallwood

    Will proved in 1935; of Nerquis, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Smallwood

    Buried in 1794 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 80.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Smallwood

    Hampshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Smallwood in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Smallwood name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas James Smallwood

    Died 1935, aged 71; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kathleen Maud Smallwood

    Died 1983; buried at Mercury Bay Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Stanley Frank Smallwood

    Died 1971; buried at Mercury Bay Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Smallwood name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Robert Smallwood

    Born 1922 in Clichy (Paris); died 1977 in Fontenay-aux-Roses (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Smallwood.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Smallwood is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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