NameCensus.

UK surname

Smart

An English occupational surname for a person who was quick-witted, clever, or intelligent.

In the 1881 census there were 13,640 people recorded with the Smart surname, ranking it #296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,068, ranked #314, down from #296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Wiltshire and Clashindarroch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smart is 19,465 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.8%.

1881 census count

13,640

Ranked #296

Modern count

19,068

2016, ranked #314

Peak year

1998

19,465 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smart had 13,640 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,068 in 2016, ranked #314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,125 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Smart surname distribution map

The map shows where the Smart surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Smart surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smart over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 9,256 #284
1861 historical 9,544 #275
1881 historical 13,640 #296
1891 historical 15,081 #283
1901 historical 17,125 #293
1911 historical 14,967 #327
1997 modern 18,955 #304
1998 modern 19,465 #308
1999 modern 19,457 #310
2000 modern 19,333 #309
2001 modern 18,920 #309
2002 modern 19,226 #309
2003 modern 18,751 #311
2004 modern 18,685 #310
2005 modern 18,399 #313
2006 modern 18,356 #315
2007 modern 18,395 #317
2008 modern 18,567 #315
2009 modern 19,009 #316
2010 modern 19,295 #317
2011 modern 18,978 #319
2012 modern 18,799 #313
2013 modern 19,227 #313
2014 modern 19,374 #312
2015 modern 19,181 #313
2016 modern 19,068 #314

Geography

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Where Smarts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Dudley and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Wiltshire, Clashindarroch, Stroud and South Gloucestershire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 014 Telford and Wrekin
2 Wiltshire 015 Wiltshire
3 Clashindarroch Aberdeenshire
4 Stroud 011 Stroud
5 South Gloucestershire 032 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smart

These lists show first names that appear often with the Smart surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smart

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Smart, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Smart surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Smart household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Smart is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Smart is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Smart falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Smart is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Smart, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Smart

The surname SMART is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word 'smert' meaning 'smart' or 'clever'. It first appeared in the late 12th century and was likely used as a nickname for someone considered intelligent or quick-witted.

The earliest known record of the SMART surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a certain William Smert is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are entries for a Robert Smert in Oxfordshire and a William Smert in Cambridgeshire.

The SMART surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Smerton in Wiltshire and Smeeton in Leicestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the SMART surname was Robert Smart, a Scottish minister and theologian who lived from 1554 to 1628. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow.

Another historical figure was Sir George Thomas Smart, an English musician and composer born in 1776. He was the conductor of the Philharmonic Society of London and played a significant role in promoting the works of Beethoven in England.

In the 19th century, John Smart, an English artist and engraver, gained recognition for his landscape paintings and prints. He was born in 1838 and is known for his depictions of rural scenes in England.

One of the most famous individuals with the SMART surname was Christopher Smart, an English poet and writer born in 1722. His works include the celebrated poem "A Song to David" and the satire "The Hilliad".

In the field of science, William Smart, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer born in 1853, made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the theory of planetary motion.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the SMART surname. While the name has its origins in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world and continues to be a prominent surname in many countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Smart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smart surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 1,275 Smarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.96x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,275 0.96x
Gloucestershire 964 3.70x
Angus 692 5.62x
Yorkshire 607 0.46x
Warwickshire 508 1.51x
Fife 473 6.01x
Surrey 472 0.73x
Wiltshire 467 3.97x
Sussex 465 2.07x
Northamptonshire 444 3.55x
Staffordshire 438 0.98x
Aberdeenshire 434 3.52x
Leicestershire 415 2.81x
Lanarkshire 404 0.94x
Midlothian 388 2.18x
Somerset 381 1.78x
Lancashire 357 0.23x
Worcestershire 349 2.01x
Kent 338 0.74x
Durham 331 0.84x
Hampshire 303 1.11x
Northumberland 234 1.18x
Bedfordshire 218 3.17x
Lincolnshire 175 0.82x
Essex 166 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 136 0.76x
Norfolk 131 0.64x
Hertfordshire 124 1.35x
Berkshire 117 1.17x
Dorset 116 1.33x
Cheshire 110 0.37x
Kincardineshire 110 6.79x
Perthshire 104 1.74x
Cambridgeshire 96 1.14x
Banffshire 95 3.44x
Monmouthshire 91 0.95x
Glamorgan 88 0.38x
Shropshire 72 0.63x
Buckinghamshire 70 0.87x
Derbyshire 64 0.31x
Devon 63 0.23x
Stirlingshire 60 1.22x
Huntingdonshire 59 2.23x
Berwickshire 56 3.48x
Selkirkshire 48 3.99x
Oxfordshire 41 0.50x
Renfrewshire 41 0.40x
Herefordshire 40 0.73x
Ayrshire 30 0.30x
Dunbartonshire 24 0.67x
Ross-shire 24 0.66x
Suffolk 24 0.15x
West Lothian 24 1.20x
Inverness-shire 23 0.58x
Roxburghshire 23 0.95x
Kirkcudbrightshire 20 1.04x
Argyllshire 19 0.51x
Cumberland 19 0.17x
Brecknockshire 16 0.60x
Cornwall 14 0.09x
Flintshire 14 0.39x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.33x
Royal Navy 14 0.88x
Channel Islands 12 0.30x
Clackmannanshire 10 0.91x
Kinross-shire 10 2.97x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.16x
Dumfriesshire 9 0.31x
East Lothian 8 0.45x
Morayshire 7 0.34x
Rutland 7 0.72x
Sutherland 7 0.68x
Denbighshire 6 0.12x
Merionethshire 5 0.21x
Buteshire 3 0.37x
Anglesey 2 0.08x
Caithness 2 0.11x
Westmorland 2 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.16x
Shetland 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 196 Smarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.28x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 196 9.28x
St Pancras London 184 1.72x
Aston 167 1.81x
Dundee 156 3.39x
Birmingham 153 1.37x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 140 5.70x
Islington London 137 1.06x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 126 1.76x
Aberdeen Old Machar 112 4.35x
Leicester St Margaret 112 3.11x
Brechin 107 22.09x
Rowley Regis 104 8.31x
Govan 103 0.97x
Lambeth 99 0.85x
Brighton 87 1.92x
Luton 80 6.71x
Leeds 78 1.05x
Barony 76 0.70x
Bisley 74 31.30x
Calne 74 30.55x
Glasgow 74 0.97x
St Marylebone London 74 1.04x
Portsea 73 1.37x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 66 2.86x
Sedgley 64 3.84x
Bethnal Green London 61 1.06x
Deptford St Paul 61 1.74x
South Leith 59 2.94x
St Vigeans 59 8.87x
Camberwell 58 0.68x
Hackney London 58 0.78x
Montrose 58 7.77x
Liff Benvie 54 2.89x
Kensington London 53 0.72x
Lewisham 53 2.19x
Welney 53 113.34x
West Ham 52 0.90x
Bishopwearmouth 51 1.50x
Newington 50 1.02x
Dysart 49 9.24x
Forfar 49 7.34x
Turriff 49 24.64x
Bromley London 48 1.64x
Harborne 45 3.13x
Westminster St John 43 2.65x
Kempston 42 26.86x
Kirkcaldy 41 10.50x
Nottingham St Mary 41 0.88x
Gateshead 40 1.35x
Holy Trinity 40 1.26x
Plumstead 40 2.64x
Clerkenwell London 39 1.24x
Croydon 39 1.08x
Everton 38 0.76x
Inveresk 38 7.88x
Holme On Spalding Moor 37 42.83x
Arbroath 36 8.82x
Bow London 36 2.13x
Cheltenham 35 1.74x
Dunfermline 35 2.89x
Earls Barton 35 32.79x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 35 7.33x
Westbury On Severn East 35 5.93x
Paddington London 34 0.70x
St George Hanover 34 1.96x
Tipton 34 2.47x
St Andrews 33 9.21x
Anstey 32 54.91x
Cam 32 39.98x
Melrose 32 10.57x
Northwood 32 8.24x
Walcot 32 2.81x
Barnwood 31 88.55x
Mile End Old Town 31 1.48x
Wellington 30 4.64x
Weston Super Mare 30 5.55x
Angmering 29 64.66x
Basford 29 3.51x
Denton 29 116.42x
Southwark St George Martyr 29 1.08x
Wollaston 29 42.15x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Smart surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 659
Elizabeth 400
Sarah 342
Ann 225
Jane 224
Eliza 176
Ellen 175
Annie 163
Emma 160
Alice 146
Emily 128
Hannah 101
Harriet 82
Martha 81
Louisa 80
Margaret 77
Maria 71
Fanny 70
Caroline 68
Ada 64
Charlotte 62
Edith 62
Florence 58
Kate 55
Lucy 50
Frances 46
Catherine 42
Clara 42
Isabella 39
Harriett 38
Jessie 33
Matilda 33
Esther 32
Susan 32
Agnes 31
Anne 28
Sophia 28
Amelia 27
Gertrude 27
Rose 27
Rebecca 25
Julia 23
Laura 23
Minnie 23
Ruth 21
Anna 20
Eleanor 20
Ethel 19
Lydia 18
Elizth. 17

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Smart surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 660
John 480
George 426
Thomas 322
James 319
Charles 253
Henry 250
Joseph 191
Alfred 123
Edward 116
Robert 114
Samuel 109
Frederick 108
Arthur 95
Albert 71
Walter 68
Harry 66
Richard 61
David 51
Edwin 48
Ernest 42
Frank 42
Herbert 33
Benjamin 29
Daniel 28
Francis 28
Fred 26
Wm. 26
Sidney 23
Stephen 22
Tom 22
Thos. 21
Alexander 20
Fredrick 18
Chas. 17
Geo. 17
Fredk. 15
Percy 15
Isaac 14
Jonathan 11
Leonard 11
Peter 11
Sydney 11
Willie 11
Edmund 10
Amos 9
Job 9
Mark 9
Ralph 9
Willm. 9

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Smart households.

FAQ

Smart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,640 people were recorded with the Smart surname. That placed it at #296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,068 in 2016. That gives Smart a modern rank of #314.

What does the Smart surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a person who was quick-witted, clever, or intelligent.

What does the Smart map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Smart bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.