Is Smith really a very common family name?

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oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:35

A SERIOUS QUESTION:
I was from a non-english speaking country and have been living in Australia for a good while... Also I was living in UK for a year. Luckily these are both nice places and I have got many friends here and there... but I haven't even met ONE Smith... I learnt that Smith is a really common English last name when I was in school, but... is that just me or?
Apologies if this has offended anyone-I don't mean to, but really Serous Question.

Sidst redigeret af oh interesting; 4. juli kl. 22:53

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St✩rlight 4. juli kl. 22:40

It's not super common, it's just generic.

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:41

Oprindeligt skrevet af St✩rlight:
It's not super common, it's just generic.

I see... Thank you very much!

salamander 4. juli kl. 22:48

not in my country its not

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:54

Oprindeligt skrevet af salamander:
not in my country its not

Seems my textbook was misleading.... Thank you for your answer!

Gracey Face 4. juli kl. 22:54

Oprindeligt skrevet af oh interesting:
A SERIOUS QUESTION:
I was from a non-english speaking country and have been living in Australia for a good while... Also I was living in UK for a year. Luckily these are both nice places and I have got many friends here and there... but I haven't even met ONE Smith... I learnt that Smith is a really common English last name when I was in school, but... is that just me or?
Serous question.

It is the most common surname, but it's not as if it is everywhere. For example in the US Smith is the most common surname, at 2.5 million people, but that's out of a population of (at the time) 310 million. So you have a .8% chance of anyone you encounter being called Smith, assuming the surnames are evenly distributed (which they won't be naturally).

swillfly 4. juli kl. 22:55

Wang is the most common surname in the world.

One might say we live in Wang's World.

skOsH♥ 4. juli kl. 22:55

I don't think I've ever met a Smith myself

I am guessing its a last name originally given to blacksmiths/forgers?

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:57

Oprindeligt skrevet af Gracey Face:
Oprindeligt skrevet af oh interesting:
A SERIOUS QUESTION:
I was from a non-english speaking country and have been living in Australia for a good while... Also I was living in UK for a year. Luckily these are both nice places and I have got many friends here and there... but I haven't even met ONE Smith... I learnt that Smith is a really common English last name when I was in school, but... is that just me or?
Serous question.

It is the most common surname, but it's not as if it is everywhere. For example in the US Smith is the most common surname, at 2.5 million people, but that's out of a population of (at the time) 310 million. So you have a .8% chance of anyone you encounter being called Smith, assuming the surnames are evenly distributed (which they won't be naturally).

I see your point... Thank you that's very helpful.

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:58

Oprindeligt skrevet af swillfly:
Wang is the most common surname in the world.

One might say we live in Wang's World.

Yeah I think I know a several Wong and Wang as well from Mandarin or Cantonese language background.

Ulfrinn 4. juli kl. 22:58

Many last names are based on profession when people started maintaining family names. Others are often based on location, where they're from. Smith is one of those profession derived last names, and why there are so many unrelated families with that same last name.

#10

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 22:59

Oprindeligt skrevet af skOsH♥:
I don't think I've ever met a Smith myself

I am guessing its a last name originally given to blacksmiths/forgers?

Yes, I think so; at least that was what I was told.

#11

swillfly 4. juli kl. 23:00

Didja know that Garbage is an actual surname - albeit a rare one?

imagine being hailed as "Mister Garbage" . . .

#12

oh interesting 4. juli kl. 23:02

Oprindeligt skrevet af swillfly:
Didja know that Garbage is an actual surname - albeit a rare one?

imagine being hailed as "Mister Garbage" . . .

I hope that surname was not originated from English.... Otherwise I would worry about the mental health status of its first generation ancestors.....

#13

Gracey Face 4. juli kl. 23:04

Oprindeligt skrevet af swillfly:
Didja know that Garbage is an actual surname - albeit a rare one?

imagine being hailed as "Mister Garbage" . . .

Did you know that the guy in charge of the visiting diplomat's mansion in DC was a man named "Randy Bumgardner" for a while.

If you had that unfortunate surname, why would you name your son Randy? His middle name even started with a D, though I don't know what it was.

#14