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{{For|a list of people with surname Smith|List of people with surname Smith}}
{{Infobox poker player

|name=Jason Mercier
{{Infobox surname
|nickname=treysfull21
|name = Smith
|image=Jason Mercier.jpg
|pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|m|ɪ|θ}}
|caption=Mercier playing at the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final in 2008
|image = Blacksmith at work02.jpg
|hometown=Hollywood, Florida
|imagesize = 200 px
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|11|12}}
|caption = A close-up of a ] at work. Smith became a popular last name for those with this occupation.
|wsop bracelet count=5
|meaning = derived from ''smitan'', meaning "to smite"
|wsop final tables=17
|region = England
|wsop money finishes=58
|origin = Anglo-Saxon
|wsop main event best finish rank=463rd
|variant = ]
|wsop main event best finish year=2010
|footnotes = <ref name=BRN/><ref></ref>
|multi-year wsop winner=
|wpt titles=''None''
|wpt final tables=''None''
|wpt money finishes=9
|ept titles=1
|ept final tables=3
|ept money finishes=9
|updated=2016-06-18
}} }}


'''Smith''' is a ]<ref></ref> originating in ]. It is the most prevalent surname in the ],<ref name=BRN></ref> ], New Zealand and the ],<ref></ref> the second most common surname in Canada, and the fifth most common surname in the ]. The surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English, Scottish and Irish descent,<ref>Citation: Brooke, 2006.</ref> but is also a common surname among ]s, which can be attributed to ] being forced to adopt the name during slavery and never changing the name upon the end of the ] and after the issuance of the ].<ref>Franklin Carter Smith, Emily Anne Croom, ''A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your ] Ancestors'' (2009), p. 109-110.</ref> {{dubious|Occupation-based names common among freedmen and slaves|date=June 2017}} 2,376,206 Americans shared the surname Smith during the ],<ref>]. "". 27 Sept 2011. Accessed 29 Mar 2012.</ref> and more than 500,000 people share it in the United Kingdom.<ref></ref> At the turn of the 20th century, the surname was sufficiently prevalent in England to have prompted the statement: "Common to every village in England, north, south, east and west";<ref name="Bardsley1901">Bardsley. ''English and Welsh Surnames''. 1901.</ref> and sufficiently common on the (European) continent (in various forms) to be "common in most countries of Europe".<ref name="Anderson1863">Citation: Anderson, 1863.</ref>
'''Jason Mercier''' (born November 12, 1986)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epicpoker.com/poker/players/bios/j/jason-mercier.aspx |title=Jason Mercier bio |accessdate=2011-08-31 |publisher=EpicPoker.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910082544/http://www.epicpoker.com/poker/players/bios/j/jason-mercier.aspx |archivedate=2011-09-10 |df= }}</ref> is an American professional ] player from ]. He has won five ]s and one ] title.<ref name="results">{{cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=101746 |title=Jason Mercier - Results |accessdate=2008-10-07 |last=Butt |first=Robert |publisher=TheHendonMob.com }}</ref><ref name="pokerpages">{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/110422/jason-mercier.htm |title=Jason Mercier - profile |accessdate=2008-10-07 |publisher=pokerpages.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928124953/http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/110422/jason-mercier.htm |archivedate=2008-09-28 |df= }}</ref><ref name="pokernews">{{cite web|url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/10/ept-london-high-rollers-day-2-jason-mercier-tops-juanda.htm |title=PokerStars.net EPT London £1 Million Showdown Day 2|accessdate=2008-10-07 |last=Hartness |first=John |date=2008-10-06 |publisher=PokerNews.com }}</ref> Mercier is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and was named the Bluff Magazine Player of the Year for 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pocketfives.com/articles/jason-mercier-treysfull21-wins-bluff-player-year-award-540212/|title=Jason Mercier (treysfull21) Wins Bluff Player of the Year Award|website=www.pocketfives.com|accessdate=10 August 2017}}</ref>He was WSOP player of the year in 2016.


==Etymology and history==
Mercier has been ranked number one in the world by ESPN<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/sports/fantasy/blog/_/name/poker/id/6723435/jason-mercier-earns-no-1|title=Poker Blog|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=10 August 2017}}</ref> and the ]. He holds the record for most weeks spent at number 1 on the GPI, 84. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalpokerindex.com/poker-players/jason-mercier-101746/|title=Jason Mercier - WUH674 - United States - The Official Global Poker Index – GPI Rankings|website=www.globalpokerindex.com|accessdate=10 August 2017}}</ref> As of April 2017, his live tournament winnings exceed $18,200,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=s&n=101746|title=Jason Mercier's profile on The Hendon Mob|website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database|accessdate=10 August 2017}}</ref> His 58 cashes at the WSOP account for over $4,500,000 of those winnings.<ref>, wsop.com</ref>
The name refers to a ], originally deriving from ''smið'' or ], the ] term meaning ''one who works in metal'' related to the word '']'', the Old English form of ''smite'', which also meant '']'' (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). The Old English word ''smiþ'' comes from the ] word ''smiþaz''. ''Smithy'' comes from the Old English word ''smiðē'' from the Proto-Germanic ''smiðjon''. The use of ''Smith'' as an ] dates back to ] times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of ], ], was recorded in 975.<ref>Citation: Simpson, 2007.</ref>


Although the name is derived from a common occupation, many later Smiths had no connection to that occupation, but adopted or were given the surname precisely because of its commonness. For example:
== European Poker Tour ==
* It is common for people in English-speaking countries to adopt the surname Smith in order to maintain a ], when they wish to avoid being found. Smith is an extremely common name among English ]; see also ].{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
In 2008 Mercier made two final tables at the ] (EPT). His first was at the EPT ] in ] where he won the event earning €869,000 ($1,372,893) with a final table that included online professional poker players, and Team ] Pro's ] (3rd) and ] (6th). The following season he made his second EPT final table coming in 6th in the 2008 EPT Barcelona event in ], earning €227,800 ($324,946). ].<ref name="results"/> won the tournament.
* During the colonisation of ], some ] took the name for use in dealing with colonists.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
* During the period of ] in the United States, many other slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their ].
* During the ]s, many ]s ]d the common and equivalent German surname '']'' or '']'' to ''Smith'' to avoid discrimination.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}


]; some chose more "American" surnames, like "Smith", on arrival.]]
In October 2008, he won the EPT London £20,000 High Roller Event. Better known as the "2008 £1 Million Showdown", this non-title event earned Mercier an additional £516,000 ($944,847). The final table included runner-up ], who had recently won the ] Main Event. Other notable contestants at the final table were online pros ] and ] as well as professionals ], ] and ].<ref name="results"/><ref name="pokernews"/>
A popular misconception holds that at the beginning of the 20th century, when many new immigrants were entering the U.S., ]s at ] responsible for cataloging the entry of such persons sometimes arbitrarily assigned new surnames if the immigrants' original surname was particularly lengthy, or difficult for the processor to spell or pronounce.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} While such claims are likely vastly exaggerated,<ref></ref> many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with ] versions of their birth names; the German ''Schmidt'' was often Anglicized to ''Smith'' not only during the ]s, but also commonly in times of peace, and the equivalent ] '']'' was Anglicized to ''Smith'' as well.


==Variations==
== World Series of Poker ==
Variations of the surname Smith also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English term, and versions in other languages.
Mercier has won five gold bracelets and made 17 final tables at the WSOP; On June 18, 2016, he became the 24th player to have won at least five bracelets. In addition to his tournament victories, Mercier has made the final table twice at the ] Main Event, finishing 4th in 2009 for £267,267 and 8th in 2012 for €84,672.


===English variations===
===World Series of Poker Bracelets===
There is some disagreement about the origins of the numerous variations of the name Smith. The addition of an ''e'' at the end of the name is sometimes considered an affectation, but may have arisen either as an attempt to spell ''smithy'' or as the Middle English adjectival form of ''smith'',<ref name=cottle>Cottle, Basil. ''Penguin Dictionary of Surnames.'' Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.</ref> which would have been used in surnames based on location rather than occupation (in other words, for someone living near or at the smithy).<ref name="Lower1860">Citation: Lower, 1860.</ref> Likewise, the replacement of the ''i'' with a ''y'' in ''Smyth'' or ''Smythe'' is also often considered an affectation but may have originally occurred because of the difficulty of reading ] text, where ''Smith'' might look like ''Snuth'' or ''Simth''.<ref name=cottle /> However, Charles Bardsley wrote in 1901, "The y in Smyth is the almost invariable spelling in early rolls, so that it cannot exactly be styled a modern affectation."<ref name="Bardsley1901" /> Some variants (such as ]) were adopted by individuals for personal reasons, while others may have arisen independently or as offshoots from the ''Smith'' root. Names such as ] and ] may in some cases be variants of ''Smith'' but in others independent surnames based on a meaning of ''light and active'' attributed to '']''.<ref name="Lower1860"/> Additional derivatives include Smithman, Smithson and Smithfield (see below).<ref name="Lower1860"/> Athersmith may derive from ''at the Smith''.<ref>http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Athersmith</ref>


Other variations focus on specialisms within the profession; for example ], from those who worked predominantly with iron, ], from those who worked with tin (and the more obvious ]), Brownsmith and Redsmith, from those who worked with copper (] and Greensmith; copper is green when oxidised), ] and ] – and those based on the goods produced, such as Hammersmith, ], Naismith (]-smith), Arrowsmith which in turn was shortened to Arsmith,<ref>http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Arsmith</ref> or ] (referring to ]s).<ref name="Lower1860"/> ] is variant spelling of a ]- or ]-smith.<ref>http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Sixsmith</ref> Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith<ref>http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wildsmith</ref>
{| class = "wikitable"
!Year
!Tournament
!Prize (US$)
|-
|]
|$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha
|$237,415
|-
|]
|$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha (Six Handed)
|$619,575
|-
|]
|$5,000 No Limit Hold'em (Six Handed)
|$633,357
|-
|]
| $10,000 2-7 No Limit Draw Lowball Championship
|$273,335
|-
|]
| $10,000 H.O.R.S.E Championship
|$422,874
|}


The ] practice of attaching ''son'' to the end of a name to indicate that the bearer is the child of the original holder has also led to the surnames ] and Smisson.
== North American Poker Tour ==
Mercier won the 2010 NAPT Mohegan Sun $25,000 Bounty Shootout tournament earning a total of $475,000. He beat a final table which included ], who finished runner-up in the NAPT Venetian Main Event, and ], who finished 5th at the NAPT Venetian Bounty Shootout event. In 2011, he repeated as the NAPT Mohegan Sun Bounty Shootout champion, not only winning the event, but also collecting the most bounties for a total of $246,600.


===Other languages===
== World Championship of Online Poker ==
Other languages with different words for the occupation of "smith" or "blacksmith" also produced surnames based on that root.
On September 21, 2010, Mercier won his first WCOOP bracelet in Event 42, besting a field of 3,122 runners.<ref name="2010-WCOOP-CP">{{cite web |url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/9812-jason-mercier-wins-event-no-42-at-pokerstars-world-championship-of-online-poker |title=Jason Mercier Wins Event No. 42 at PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker |last=Rodriguez |first=Julio |date=2010-09-21 |work=CardPlayer.com |accessdate=2013-09-22}}</ref>


==== Other Germanic languages ====
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
* ]: ], ], ], ], Schmith, ],<ref name="Anderson1863"/> ]
|-
* ]: De Smid, De Smedt, Desmedt, ], Desmet, ], Smets
|+ ] Titles
* ] and ]: ], ], Smid, Smidt, Smed, De Smet
|-
* ], ] and ]: Smed
!Year
!Event
!Tournament
!Prize (US$)
|-
|2010
|Event 42
|$1,050 No Limit Hold’em
|$435,862.07
|-
|2012
|Event 64
|$10,300 8-Game (High-Roller)
|$253,425.00
|}


====Romance languages====
== Spring Championship of Online Poker ==
Words derived from the ] term for smith (literally "one who works with iron"), such as the ] words ''fabbro'' and ''ferraio'', are the root of last names common in several parts of Europe.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
On May 15, 2014, Mercier won his first SCOOP title in Event 34-M. With three more titles in 2015 and one in 2016, Jason has a total of 5 SCOOP titles.
* ]: Fabbri, Fabbro, Fabris, Ferrara, ], Ferrari, Ferrera, Ferrero
* ]: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], or ], ] (''anglicisation'')
* ]: ], ], ]
* ]: Feraru, Fieraru
* ]: Ferreiro, ]
* ]: ], Ferré, Farré, Fabre, Fabra
* ]: ]


====Celtic languages====
{| class="wikitable" border="1"

|-
In ] and ], the word for smith, ''gobha'', is found in the surname "MacGouren"/''MacGouran''/''MacGowan''/'']''. This surname is an Anglicised form of ''Mac a' Ghobhainn'' (]), ''Mac Gabhann'' (]), meaning "son of the smith".<ref></ref> In England the surname ], which is common in ], is derived from the ] and ] ''goff'' a cognate of the ] ''gobha''. This particular surname was brought to England by migrant ], following the ].<ref></ref>
|+ ] Titles

|-
*]: ] (an Gov), ], Goffe, Trengove
!Year

!Event
====Slavic languages====
!Tournament

!Prize (US$)
* ]: ] (Кавалёў)
|-
* ]: ] (Ковалёв), ] (Кузнецов)
|2014
* ]: ], ], ]
|Event 34-M
* ]: Kovachev (Ковачев)
|$215 8-Game
* ]: ], ], ], ], ], Kovaček
|$21,242.00
* ]: ]
|-
* ]: ] (Ковачевски), ] (Ковачев)
|2015
* ]: ] and derived ], ]
|Event 5-H
* ]: ] and its place name derivative ], and patronymics Kowalik, Kowalczyk and Kowalewski
|$2,100 FL Badugi
* ]: ]/Ковачевић, ]/Ковач, ]/Ковачев
|$39,200.00
* ]: ], ]
|-
* ]: ] (Коваленко), ] (Ковальчук), ] (Коваль)
|2015

|Event 8-H
====Other====
|$2,100 NL 5 Card Draw
* ]: Sideras (Σιδεράς)
|$34,400.00
* ]: ]
|-
* ]: Kalējs
|2015
* ]: Kalvaitis
|Event 20-H

|$2,100 NL Hold'em
====Other====
|$178,457.73
* ]: ] (حداد)
|-
* ]: Nallbani
|2016
* ]: Dəmirçi
|Event 42-M
* ]: Haddad
|$215 PL Omaha Hi/Lo
* ]: ], Tarpinyan (Դարբինյան, Տարպինյան)
|$22,572.00
* ]: Pande
|}
* ]: ] (কর্মকার)
* ]: Sepp
* ]: Seppä, Seppälä, Seppänen
* ]: Mchedlidze, Mchedlishvili (მჭედლიძე, მჭედლიშვილი)
* ]: Kajiya (鍛冶屋)
* ]: Motuli
* ]: ] ( कामी)
* ]: ] (زرگر)
* ]: ]
* ]: ], Hadad, ]<ref name="Anderson1863"/>
* ]: Demirci

==Notable people sharing the surname "Smith"==
{{Main article|List of people with surname Smith}}

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (son of Smith)
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{reflist|3}}
<references/>

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title= The Scottish Nation (Volume 3: MAC to ZET) |authorlink=William Anderson (Scottish writer)|last= Anderson |first= William
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3rQEAAAAIAAJ |format= PDF |accessdate= 2008-03-04 |year= 1863
|publisher= ]| location= Edinburgh |page= 479}}
* {{cite book |title= English and Welsh Surnames |last= Bardsley |first= Charles Wareing
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=RbkEAAAAIAAJ |format= PDF |accessdate=2008-03-03
|year= 1901 |publisher= ]|location= London|page=699|isbn= 0-8063-0022-1}} The section heading referenced here reads "Smith, Smyth, Smythe", suggesting these to be the most common variants at the time (1901).
* {{cite web |url= http://www.celticfamilymaps.com/index.php?link=Smith&q=node/2 |title= Surname Map for Smith in Britain, Ireland and Mann. |accessdate= 2010-03-01|format= map|publisher= CelticFamilyMaps.com}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.genealogytoday.com/columns/everyday/020509.html
|title= The Mighty Smiths: Dealing With Common Surnames |accessdate= 2008-03-01
|first= Bob |last= Brooke |date= 2006-12-31 |work= Everyday Genealogy |publisher= Genealogy Today, LLC}}
* {{cite news |last= CBC News |authorlink= CBC News |title= Common surnames
|url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/name-change/common-surnames.html
|work= News In Depth |date= 2007-07-26 |accessdate=2008-03-02 }}
* {{cite book|authorlink=Basil Cottle|last=Cottle|first=Basil|title=Penguin Dictionary of Surnames|place=Baltimore, MD|publisher=Penguin Books|date=1967}}
* {{cite book|last=Dorward|first=David|title=Scottish Surnames|publisher=Collins Celtic (Pocket edition)|date=1998}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.araltas.com/features/smith/ |title= Smith coat of arms and family history
|accessdate=2008-03-15 |first= Eddie |last= Geoghegan |date= 2006-05-26 |publisher= araltas.com
|quote= At the outset it is important to mention that the spelling of the name as Smith, Smyth, Smithe, Smythe, etc. is of little historical significance. The use of "i" and "y" and the presence or absence of the terminal "e" merely reflect the writing styles of the day.
}}
* {{cite web |url= http://howmanyofme.com/search/ |title= How Many of Me? |accessdate= 2008-03-01
|format= database search result |quote= There are 3,053,623 people in the U.S. with the last name Smith.
|publisher= HowManyofMe.com}}
* {{cite book |authorlink=Mark Antony Lower|last= Lower |first= Mark Antony |title= Patronymica Britannica: A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom
|origyear= 1860 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=00cBAAAAQAAJ |format= PDF (Google Books) |accessdate= 2008-03-16
|year= 1860 |publisher= John Russell Smith |location= London |pages= 319&ndash;321 |isbn= 0-7884-0456-3
}}
* {{cite journal |last= O'Kane |first= Willie |year= 1998 |title= Surnames of County Monaghan
|journal= Irish Roots |volume= 26 |issue= 2nd quarter
|url= http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/magazine/articles/ir_monaghan.htm
|accessdate= 2008-03-02 |quote= ...certain members of the MacGabhann and O Gabhan septs, usually Anglicised as McGowan, took the name Smith on the basis of the name Mac Gobha, 'son of the smith'.}}<br>The URL here is to a reprint on the Irish Ancestors website. Tables of contents for back issues of Irish Roots Magazine are found at https://web.archive.org/web/20091217104309/http://irishroots.ie/Back%20Issues%20List.htm and there are two listings for the title here, one in 'Issue No. 26 (1998 Second quarter)', the other in 'Issue No. 48 (2003 Fourth quarter)'. It is not clear whether the latter is a simple reprint of the former or an update. The reprinted article notes 'From Irish Roots, (No. 28)'.
* {{cite web |url= http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Surnames%20of%20North%20East%20England.htm
|title= Surnames of North East England |accessdate=2008-03-01 |first= David |last= Simpson
|date= 2007-01-30 |work= The North East England History Pages }}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Elsdon C.|title=American Surnames|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Company|date=1997}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.yournotme.com/results.asp?forename=&surname=smith
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061111104726/http://www.yournotme.com/results.asp?surname=Smith&forename=
|dead-url= yes
|archive-date= 2006-11-11
|title= Smith surname at YourNotMe |accessdate= 2008-03-01 |format= database search result
|publisher= YourNotMe.com}}
* ] (9 May 1995). ]. Retrieved on 25 February 2008.

{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{sisterlinks|commons=Category:Smith (surname)|wikt=Smith|d=no|b=no|n=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|species=no|q=no}}
* , Chicago, Ill., American Publishers' Association, 1902. via ]


{{smiths}}
{{2000s WSOP Bracelet Winners}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
{{2010s WSOP Bracelet Winners}}
{{Team PokerStars}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercier, Jason}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]

Revision as of 18:54, 7 January 2018

For a list of people with surname Smith, see List of people with surname Smith.
Smith
A close-up of a blacksmith at work. Smith became a popular last name for those with this occupation.
Pronunciation/ˈsmɪθ/
Origin
Word/nameAnglo-Saxon
Meaningderived from smitan, meaning "to smite"
Region of originEngland
Other names
Variant form(s)numerous

Smith is a surname originating in England. It is the most prevalent surname in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the second most common surname in Canada, and the fifth most common surname in the Republic of Ireland. The surname Smith is particularly prevalent among those of English, Scottish and Irish descent, but is also a common surname among African Americans, which can be attributed to black slaves being forced to adopt the name during slavery and never changing the name upon the end of the era of slavery and after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. 2,376,206 Americans shared the surname Smith during the 2000 census, and more than 500,000 people share it in the United Kingdom. At the turn of the 20th century, the surname was sufficiently prevalent in England to have prompted the statement: "Common to every village in England, north, south, east and west"; and sufficiently common on the (European) continent (in various forms) to be "common in most countries of Europe".

Etymology and history

The name refers to a smith, originally deriving from smið or smiþ, the Old English term meaning one who works in metal related to the word smitan, the Old English form of smite, which also meant strike (as in early 17th century Biblical English: the verb "to smite" = to hit). The Old English word smiþ comes from the Proto-Germanic word smiþaz. Smithy comes from the Old English word smiðē from the Proto-Germanic smiðjon. The use of Smith as an occupational surname dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, when inherited surnames were still unknown: Ecceard Smith of County Durham, North East England, was recorded in 975.

Although the name is derived from a common occupation, many later Smiths had no connection to that occupation, but adopted or were given the surname precisely because of its commonness. For example:

  • It is common for people in English-speaking countries to adopt the surname Smith in order to maintain a secret identity, when they wish to avoid being found. Smith is an extremely common name among English Gypsies; see also John Smith.
  • During the colonisation of North America, some Native Americans took the name for use in dealing with colonists.
  • During the period of slavery in the United States, many other slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their emancipation.
  • During the world wars, many German Americans anglicised the common and equivalent German surname Schmidt or Schmitz to Smith to avoid discrimination.
Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island; some chose more "American" surnames, like "Smith", on arrival.

A popular misconception holds that at the beginning of the 20th century, when many new immigrants were entering the U.S., civil servants at Ellis Island responsible for cataloging the entry of such persons sometimes arbitrarily assigned new surnames if the immigrants' original surname was particularly lengthy, or difficult for the processor to spell or pronounce. While such claims are likely vastly exaggerated, many immigrants did choose to begin their American lives with more "American" names, particularly with Anglicised versions of their birth names; the German Schmidt was often Anglicized to Smith not only during the world wars, but also commonly in times of peace, and the equivalent Polish Kowalski was Anglicized to Smith as well.

Variations

Variations of the surname Smith also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English term, and versions in other languages.

English variations

There is some disagreement about the origins of the numerous variations of the name Smith. The addition of an e at the end of the name is sometimes considered an affectation, but may have arisen either as an attempt to spell smithy or as the Middle English adjectival form of smith, which would have been used in surnames based on location rather than occupation (in other words, for someone living near or at the smithy). Likewise, the replacement of the i with a y in Smyth or Smythe is also often considered an affectation but may have originally occurred because of the difficulty of reading blackletter text, where Smith might look like Snuth or Simth. However, Charles Bardsley wrote in 1901, "The y in Smyth is the almost invariable spelling in early rolls, so that it cannot exactly be styled a modern affectation." Some variants (such as Smijth) were adopted by individuals for personal reasons, while others may have arisen independently or as offshoots from the Smith root. Names such as Smither and Smithers may in some cases be variants of Smith but in others independent surnames based on a meaning of light and active attributed to smyther. Additional derivatives include Smithman, Smithson and Smithfield (see below). Athersmith may derive from at the Smith.

Other variations focus on specialisms within the profession; for example Blacksmith, from those who worked predominantly with iron, Whitesmith, from those who worked with tin (and the more obvious Tinsmith), Brownsmith and Redsmith, from those who worked with copper (Coppersmith and Greensmith; copper is green when oxidised), Silversmith and Goldsmith – and those based on the goods produced, such as Hammersmith, Bladesmith, Naismith (nail-smith), Arrowsmith which in turn was shortened to Arsmith, or Shoesmith (referring to horseshoes). Sixsmith is variant spelling of a sickle- or scythe-smith. Wildsmith in turn is a corruption of wheelsmith

The patronymic practice of attaching son to the end of a name to indicate that the bearer is the child of the original holder has also led to the surnames Smithson and Smisson.

Other languages

Other languages with different words for the occupation of "smith" or "blacksmith" also produced surnames based on that root.

Other Germanic languages

Romance languages

Words derived from the Latin term for smith (literally "one who works with iron"), such as the Italian words fabbro and ferraio, are the root of last names common in several parts of Europe.

Celtic languages

In Ireland and Scotland, the word for smith, gobha, is found in the surname "MacGouren"/MacGouran/MacGowan/McGowan. This surname is an Anglicised form of Mac a' Ghobhainn (Scottish Gaelic), Mac Gabhann (Irish), meaning "son of the smith". In England the surname Goff, which is common in East Anglia, is derived from the Breton and Cornish goff a cognate of the Gaelic gobha. This particular surname was brought to England by migrant Bretons, following the Norman Conquest of England.

Slavic languages

Other

Other

Notable people sharing the surname "Smith"

Main article: List of people with surname Smith

See also

Notes

  1. ^ British surnames
  2. 1990 Census Name Files
  3. SMITH - Name Meaning & Origin
  4. 2000 Census: Frequently Occurring Surnames
  5. Citation: Brooke, 2006.
  6. Franklin Carter Smith, Emily Anne Croom, A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors (2009), p. 109-110.
  7. United States Census Bureau. "Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000". 27 Sept 2011. Accessed 29 Mar 2012.
  8. UCL News: Surname Profiler
  9. ^ Bardsley. English and Welsh Surnames. 1901.
  10. ^ Citation: Anderson, 1863.
  11. Citation: Simpson, 2007.
  12. USCIS Home Page
  13. ^ Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
  14. ^ Citation: Lower, 1860.
  15. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Athersmith
  16. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Arsmith
  17. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Sixsmith
  18. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wildsmith

References

External links

Surnames associated with the occupation of smith
Celtic
Germanic
Romance
Semitic
Slavic
Other
From "spark"
rel. to occ. 'smith'

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