History:

Smiths spread around the world mainly because they moved voluntarily. Early Smiths, who were good at metalwork, often went to places with lots of jobs or resources. The Industrial Revolution made even more Smith families move to cities worldwide as blacksmithing and similar jobs boomed. Later, many Smiths left Europe (especially England and Scotland, where the name is super common) for places like America and Australia. How this surname changed over time shows these movements, with different versions of the name popping up in different places. The Smiths global reach is a great example of how people moving around affects family names.

Description:

This surname comes from lots of different places—sometimes it was a job title (like blacksmith) or a description (like someone who lived near a blacksmith).