The Smythe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,379 people carried this name — #7,591 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 67,600 people counted. That is up 2% from 4,314 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Smythe surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

Variant of Smith.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Smythe» (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

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the smith’.

An early record he cites: Philip le Smethe, Huntingdonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Smith, Smyth and Smythe.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 699 · public domain.

In print

Smythe in American newspapers,
1898–1926.

Newspaper page from The Frontier carrying the name Smythe
The Frontier 1898-11-10
Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name Smythe
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1926-01-31
Newspaper page from Evening Times-republican carrying the name Smythe
Evening Times-republican 1902-03-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 75,295 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Smythe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

44,531 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Smythe. The most, 7,108, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 15,429
Victoria 10,082
Queensland 8,460
South Australia 4,262
Western Australia 3,416
Tasmania 2,483
ACT (Canberra) 185
Northern Territory 128

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

Who carried it

People named Smythe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elizabeth Smythe d. 1843
  • Alan Theodore Smythe d. 1941
  • Richard Peter Carrington Smythe d. 1853
  • Lucy Smythe d. 1827
  • Marianne Smythe d. 1859
  • Sir Edward Smythe, 4th Baronet d. 1784

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Smythe,
in the records of 7 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 States834 records

834 records of the Smythe name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 262
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 166
  • Other U.S. records 406
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Rudolph A. Smythe

    Born 1913. Enlisted 1943 at San Francisco, California; driver from Santa Clara County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1965, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Smythe

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow and Moville, aged 18; servant. From Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Edward Smythe

    Born 1945; from Reeds Spring, Missouri. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 834 records for Smythe in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia780 records

780 records of the Smythe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 561
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 86
  • Other Australian records 133
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Smythe

    Died 1901 in William Street, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1901.

    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 James Smythe

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Royal Admiral, arriving 1833.

    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 Mary Smythe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1859 aboard the Beechworth, aged 25; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 780 records for Smythe 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) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (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).

Canada108 records

108 records of the Smythe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 58
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 18
  • Other Canadian records 32
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Laura Elizabeth Smythe

    Buried in 1975 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 73.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Nellie Smythe

    Came to Ontario in 1882, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Bessie Smythe

    Died 1949 in Parrsboro, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 108 records for Smythe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand14 records

14 records of the Smythe name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 10
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Nola Beatrice Smythe

    Died 2000, aged 93; buried at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Ann Smythe

    Died 1935, aged 81; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Monica Geraldine Smythe

    Died 1953, aged 64; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Smythe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District 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).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the Smythe name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Smythe

    Scots Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

    Durham Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    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 A. G. C. Smythe

    Major. 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 4 records for Smythe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Smythe name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Edith Treacher Smythe

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1869 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hugh Bagnall Smythe

    In a population register; born 1876.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Smythe in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France2 records

2 records of the Smythe 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 Nicole Smythe

    Born 1941 in Lyon (Rhône); died 1996 in Arpajon (Essonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Georgina Smythe

    Born 1920 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Clichy (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 Smythe.

When the index is not enough

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A volume says what happened to it.

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