History:

Smith: This surnames popularity shows a really interesting story of people moving, both willingly and unwillingly. The French version of the name arrived in England after the Norman invasion in 1066, making it common in Britain. Later, lots of people with this surname voluntarily left Britain for places like America and Australia, spreading it around the globe. But it wasnt just voluntary; the slave trade also spread this surname, although how often it happened depended on the situation and what slave owners did. Where this surname is most common also depends on where people settled. For example, many Smiths in parts of the US might be because of early settlers or later immigrants. The names spelling hasnt changed much because its a pretty simple and common name.

Description:

Sharma: This surnames incredibly common throughout India, used by many different groups and sub-groups. Many upper-caste Brahmins (priests) use this surname, but youll also find it among merchants (Vaishyas) and warriors (Kshatriyas). Its popularity shows how flexible and complex Indian social structures really are.