An Anglo-Saxon term ˜smitan" means to smite or strike. The word Smith means a man who works with metal (smith or blacksmith), a type of job with needed skills.

The various spellings for Smith include Smyth, Schmidt and Smythe.

Smith is a popular surname of England, United States (in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio), Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Germany and Australia. Smith is the number one surname in the United States.

Famous: Capt. Edward J. Smith (captain of the RMS Titanic), John Smith (original settler of Jamestown colony), Will Smith (actor), Kate Smith (singer), Maggie Smith (actress), Cecil Smith (English historian), David Smith (English rugby footballer), Elbert Smith (poet of the 19th century), Helen Smith (writer), Trevor Smith (Canadian ice hockey player).