The Smithson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,978 people carried this name — #5,032 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,200 people counted. That is up 3% from 6,805 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Smithson surname

A surname originating as an occupation or as a patronymic for a son of a smith.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Smithson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Johannes Smytheson’, 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. 699 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Smithson was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Lincolnshire: 14 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 714. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lincolnshire 14
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Smithson in American newspapers,
1893–1916.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Smithson
The Birmingham Age-herald 1916-12-03
Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Smithson
Rock Island Argus 1911-04-15
Newspaper page from Nebraska Staats-anzeiger carrying the name Smithson
Nebraska Staats-anzeiger 1893-04-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 42,919 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Smithson in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

6,311 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Smithson. The most, 1,124, date from the 1880s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,168
Victoria 1,675
Queensland 840
South Australia 648
Western Australia 490
Tasmania 422
ACT (Canberra) 40
Northern Territory 2

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

Who carried it

People named Smithson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
    Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland 1715–1786 · politician
  • Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley
    Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley 1750–1830 · politician
  • Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley
    Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley 1750–1830 · politician
  • James Smithson
    James Smithson 1765–1829 · chemist
  • Mary Smithson d. 1867
  • Hugh Smithson 1662–1740 · politician

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 Smithson,
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 States608 records

608 records of the Smithson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 278
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 123
  • Other U.S. records 207
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Wallace D. Smithson

    Born 1915 in Indiana. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Benjamin Harrison; welder from Randolph County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Union City Brethren Cemetery, Indiana.

    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 Craig Dennis Smithson

    Born 1949; from Welcome, Minnesota. U.S. Army, infantryman; died in an accident 1969 in Binh Thuan, South Vietnam.

    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 John Smithson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of New York from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; mason. From Chelsea, England; bound for Wilmington.

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

Showing 3 of 608 records for Smithson 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 · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). 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).

Australia314 records

314 records of the Smithson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 181
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 48
  • Other Australian records 85
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Smithson

    Died 1877 in Ringarooma, Tasmania, aged 49. Will registered in Tasmania in 1877.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Smithson

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845. Married 1845 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 53.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 John Smithson

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Sir Godfrey Webster, arriving 1826; ticket of leave 1831. Native of Tipperary Co.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 314 records for Smithson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

Canada32 records

32 records of the Smithson name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 15
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • Other Canadian records 10
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record David Courtland Smithson

    Buried in 1967 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 83.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Rhoda Nancy Smithson

    Died 1944; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  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 Dwight Smithson

    Died in service in 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 32 records for Smithson in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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 Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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 Smithson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 21
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Grace Catherine Smithson

    Buried in 1825 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 19.

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

    Driver, Service Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. H. Smithson

    Northumberland Fusiliers. 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 Smithson 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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 Zealand12 records

12 records of the Smithson name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 10
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John C. Smithson

    Died 1903, aged 48; buried at Linwood 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 Phyllis June Smithson

    Died 1995, aged 78; 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 Harrison Steel Smithson

    Died 1937, aged 48; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Smithson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Smithson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Franklin Smithson

    Married in 1945 in Arnhem; soldier.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Zara Smithson

    In the population register of Venray; born 1835 in Dublin.

    Open Archives, Gemeente Venray, gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Smithson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Smithson 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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