NameCensus.

UK surname

Smeaton

A surname deriving from a placename indicating someone originally from Smeaton, England.

In the 1881 census there were 846 people recorded with the Smeaton surname, ranking it #4,458 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,154, ranked #5,118, down from #4,458 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Letham and Glamis, Coupar Angus and Meigle and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smeaton is 1,225 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.4%.

1881 census count

846

Ranked #4,458

Modern count

1,154

2016, ranked #5,118

Peak year

1999

1,225 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smeaton had 846 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,458 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,154 in 2016, ranked #5,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,099 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Smeaton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Smeaton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smeaton 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 683 #3,804
1861 historical 652 #4,116
1881 historical 846 #4,458
1891 historical 954 #4,341
1901 historical 1,099 #4,395
1911 historical 680 #6,214
1997 modern 1,167 #4,830
1998 modern 1,219 #4,826
1999 modern 1,225 #4,830
2000 modern 1,188 #4,952
2001 modern 1,155 #4,974
2002 modern 1,184 #4,958
2003 modern 1,139 #5,034
2004 modern 1,140 #5,035
2005 modern 1,121 #5,058
2006 modern 1,122 #5,054
2007 modern 1,128 #5,076
2008 modern 1,135 #5,090
2009 modern 1,165 #5,068
2010 modern 1,166 #5,168
2011 modern 1,137 #5,232
2012 modern 1,117 #5,220
2013 modern 1,156 #5,157
2014 modern 1,152 #5,191
2015 modern 1,142 #5,192
2016 modern 1,154 #5,118

Geography

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Where Smeatons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Crieff. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Letham and Glamis, Coupar Angus and Meigle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Doncaster and Blairgowrie East (Rattray). 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Crieff Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Letham and Glamis Angus
2 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 011 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Doncaster 033 Doncaster
5 Blairgowrie East (Rattray) Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smeaton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smeaton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Smeaton, 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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Smeaton is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Smeaton is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Smeaton falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Smeaton 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 Smeaton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Smeaton

The surname Smeaton is of English origin, and is believed to have originated in the village of Smeaton, located near the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "smeth" meaning "smooth" or "flat" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement".

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Smetun". This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Smetton", "Smeton", and "Smeatoun" in medieval records and charters from Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

One notable bearer of the name was John Smeaton (1724-1792), a renowned civil engineer who is considered the founding father of modern civil engineering in Britain. He is best known for his work on the Eddystone Lighthouse, which he rebuilt using innovative techniques that allowed it to withstand the harsh conditions of the English Channel.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir William Smeaton (1856-1939), a British civil engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of reinforced concrete construction. He was knighted in 1923 for his services to engineering.

In the 16th century, the Smeaton family was well-established in the village of East Markham in Nottinghamshire. One member of this branch, Thomas Smeaton (1537-1601), was a wealthy landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1588.

In the 18th century, the name Smeaton was also found in Scotland, where a family of that name owned lands in the parish of Carnwath in Lanarkshire. James Smeaton (1699-1765), a member of this Scottish branch, was a prominent merchant and landowner in Glasgow.

Another notable bearer of the name was Michael Smeaton (1888-1958), a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization through his excavations and research.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Smeaton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smeaton 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. Perthshire leads with 138 Smeatons recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.43x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 138 37.43x
Yorkshire 127 1.56x
Lanarkshire 115 4.33x
Midlothian 66 6.00x
Northumberland 53 4.34x
Angus 44 5.78x
Durham 42 1.72x
Middlesex 33 0.40x
Derbyshire 31 2.41x
Fife 22 4.52x
Lancashire 16 0.16x
Berwickshire 15 15.08x
Clackmannanshire 15 22.11x
Renfrewshire 15 2.36x
Lincolnshire 14 1.07x
Kent 11 0.39x
Stirlingshire 10 3.30x
East Lothian 8 7.35x
Northamptonshire 7 0.91x
Ayrshire 6 0.98x
Essex 6 0.37x
Warwickshire 6 0.29x
West Lothian 6 4.85x
Kinross-shire 5 24.08x
Leicestershire 5 0.55x
Surrey 4 0.10x
Argyllshire 3 1.31x
Wiltshire 3 0.41x
Bedfordshire 2 0.47x
Gloucestershire 2 0.12x
Kincardineshire 2 2.00x
Peeblesshire 2 5.18x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.45x
Inverness-shire 1 0.41x
Roxburghshire 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 1.02x
Shropshire 1 0.14x
Sussex 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. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 58 Smeatons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.63x.

Place Total Index
Barony 58 8.63x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 27 6.10x
Dundee 26 9.15x
Govan 25 3.81x
Auchterarder 20 194.36x
Gateshead 20 10.93x
Glasgow 18 3.82x
Stapenhill 17 88.82x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 14 19.18x
Perth St Pauls 14 163.93x
Bentley Cum Arksey 12 282.35x
Crieff 12 87.53x
Sheffield 12 4.63x
Muthill 11 228.69x
Wombwell 11 46.35x
Dunfermline 10 13.38x
Edinburgh St Andrews 10 110.01x
Alloa 9 27.36x
Mexborough 9 55.73x
New Monkland 9 11.46x
Perth West Church 9 51.46x
St Pancras London 9 1.36x
Barnsley 8 9.53x
Barry 8 87.62x
Byker 8 13.24x
Coupar Angus 8 111.11x
Heworth 8 16.61x
Kilmadock 8 94.34x
Kilspindie 8 410.26x
Plumstead 8 8.56x
Stirling 8 20.95x
Swinton In Rotherham 8 37.17x
Westoe 8 5.78x
Berwick Upon Tweed 7 27.04x
Chesterfield 7 14.52x
Clipston 7 357.14x
Eastwood 7 17.86x
Nether Hallam 7 6.36x
Birmingham 6 0.87x
Blackford 6 133.04x
Bradford 6 3.05x
Callander 6 98.68x
Dalmeny 6 126.85x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 23.05x
Inchture 6 327.87x
Islington London 6 0.75x
Liverpool 6 1.01x
Toft Lound Manthorpe 6 800.00x
Tulliallan 6 96.00x
West Auckland 6 67.19x
Breaston 5 220.26x
Brodsworth 5 510.20x
Burntisland 5 36.79x
Castleford 5 16.87x
Dewsbury 5 5.99x
Elswick 5 5.13x
Hooton Pagnell 5 609.76x
Hornsey 5 4.81x
Liberton 5 29.45x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 7.89x
Old Cumnock 5 36.52x
Orwell 5 87.41x
Tillicoultry 5 33.13x
West Greenock 5 4.38x
Ardoch 4 129.03x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 4 41.19x
Bilham 4 4444.44x
Greenlaw 4 113.64x
Hebron Cockle Park Earsdon 4 396.04x
Leuchars 4 65.04x
Methven 4 74.07x
Perth East Church 4 11.51x
Perth Middle Church 4 28.86x
Westgate 4 5.29x
Ashby De La Zouch 3 14.21x
Kilmore Kilbride 3 20.68x
Linthorpe 3 6.18x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 3 16.24x
St Swithin Lincoln 3 14.53x
Whittinghame 3 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Annie 12
Jane 12
Elizabeth 10
Margaret 9
Isabella 7
Martha 6
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Barbara 3
Emily 3
Henrietta 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Catharine 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Lily 2
Maria 2
Cath. 1
Christan 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellenor 1
Esther 1
Euphemia 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isa 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Lilly 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 31
William 24
James 19
George 14
Thomas 12
Robert 9
Henry 8
David 6
Arthur 5
Benjamin 5
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Edward 3
Geo. 3
Walter 3
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Samuel 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Ben 1
Edwin 1
Elizah 1
Henery 1
Isaac 1
Joh 1
Josh. 1
Makin 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Smeaton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smeaton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 846 people were recorded with the Smeaton surname. That placed it at #4,458 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smeaton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,154 in 2016. That gives Smeaton a modern rank of #5,118.

What does the Smeaton surname mean?

A surname deriving from a placename indicating someone originally from Smeaton, England.

What does the Smeaton map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Smeaton 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.