NameCensus.

UK surname

Smelt

An English occupational surname derived from the metalworking trade of smelting.

In the 1881 census there were 275 people recorded with the Smelt surname, ranking it #10,330 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 335, ranked #13,611, down from #10,330 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beverley St Mary, Sheffield and Rotherham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Calderdale and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smelt is 462 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.8%.

1881 census count

275

Ranked #10,330

Modern count

335

2016, ranked #13,611

Peak year

1911

462 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smelt had 275 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,330 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016, ranked #13,611.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 462 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Smelt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Smelt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smelt 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 158 #12,461
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 275 #10,330
1891 historical 349 #9,857
1901 historical 435 #8,922
1911 historical 462 #8,329
1997 modern 417 #10,674
1998 modern 418 #11,009
1999 modern 428 #10,898
2000 modern 430 #10,804
2001 modern 414 #10,942
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 416 #10,941
2004 modern 406 #11,155
2005 modern 391 #11,378
2006 modern 393 #11,398
2007 modern 396 #11,459
2008 modern 388 #11,745
2009 modern 377 #12,269
2010 modern 373 #12,628
2011 modern 368 #12,631
2012 modern 349 #12,993
2013 modern 352 #13,130
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 334 #13,645
2016 modern 335 #13,611

Geography

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Where Smelts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beverley St Mary, Sheffield, Rotherham, London parishes and Dronfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Calderdale and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Beverley St Mary Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Dronfield Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 001 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Calderdale 008 Calderdale
3 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 023 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smelt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smelt

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Smelt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Smelt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Smelt 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

Smelt is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Smelt falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Smelt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Smelt

The surname Smelt originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "smelt," which refers to a person who melted or smelted metals, particularly tin or lead. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the smelting trade or metalworking industry.

The name Smelt is believed to have originated in the counties of Cornwall and Devon, where tin mining and smelting were prominent activities. These regions had a rich history of metalworking dating back to the Bronze Age.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Smelt can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire, dated 1198, which mentions a person named Richard le Smelter. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Smeltere."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to individuals with similar occupational surnames related to metalworking, such as "Faber" (meaning smith or blacksmith) and "Ferror" (meaning ironworker).

Notable individuals with the surname Smelt throughout history include:

1. John Smelt (c. 1650-1714), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Grantham. 2. Leonard Smelt (1619-1669), an English merchant and landowner in Virginia. 3. Robert Smelt (1613-1692), an English clergyman and author of theological works. 4. Thomas Smelt (c. 1592-1638), an English clergyman and writer. 5. William Smelt (c. 1700-1776), a British naval officer and colonial governor of the Bahamas.

The surname Smelt has also been associated with various place names and localities, such as Smelthouses in Yorkshire, which may have derived its name from the presence of smelting activities in the area.

While the surname Smelt is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the nation's historical connections to metalworking and industrial trades.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Smelt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smelt 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. Yorkshire leads with 136 Smelts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.10x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 136 5.10x
Durham 37 4.62x
Middlesex 27 1.00x
Surrey 14 1.07x
Derbyshire 12 2.85x
Kent 7 0.76x
Warwickshire 6 0.88x
Gloucestershire 5 0.95x
Northumberland 5 1.25x
Staffordshire 5 0.55x
Essex 4 0.75x
Lancashire 4 0.13x
Sussex 4 0.88x
Hampshire 2 0.36x
Wiltshire 2 0.84x
Bedfordshire 1 0.72x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.59x
Cheshire 1 0.17x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.68x
Glamorgan 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 18 Smelts recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.55x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 18 42.55x
Beverley St Martin 14 314.61x
Holy Trinity 12 18.70x
Stockton On Tees 11 28.49x
Scarborough 10 41.25x
South Dalton 10 4166.67x
Beverley St Mary 8 205.13x
Dronfield 8 148.15x
Newington 8 108.84x
Ecclesfield 7 35.79x
Esher 7 380.43x
Heaton 7 243.90x
Stranton 7 25.95x
Brightside Bierlow 5 9.55x
Chelsea London 5 6.16x
Tonbridge 5 15.09x
Yarm 5 364.96x
Brinsworth 4 322.58x
Burnham 4 204.08x
Byker 4 20.20x
Cheltenham 4 9.82x
Coundon 4 123.08x
Darlington 4 12.93x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 7.37x
Friern Barnet 4 67.45x
Heeley 4 49.32x
Huddersfield 4 10.29x
Islington London 4 1.53x
Westoe 4 8.81x
Aston 3 1.60x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 3 32.89x
Camberwell 3 1.74x
Chesterfield 3 18.99x
Handsworth 3 13.39x
Rawmarsh 3 31.81x
South Bersted 3 77.72x
St Marylebone London 3 2.09x
Westerton 3 697.67x
Basingstoke 2 31.50x
Birmingham 2 0.88x
Bow London 2 5.83x
Broughton In Salford 2 6.85x
Cornforth 2 84.75x
Dalton Le Dale 2 1818.18x
Hessle In Hemsworth 2 1818.18x
Horsforth 2 34.19x
Melksham 2 48.43x
Pickhill With Roxby 2 769.23x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.30x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.86x
Beverley St Nicholas 1 45.66x
Burley In Wharfdale 1 42.37x
Coulsdon 1 41.84x
Coventry St Michael 1 4.59x
Cummertrees 1 99.01x
Dunstable 1 23.36x
Ealing 1 4.16x
Elm 1 59.88x
Fulham London 1 2.56x
Hendon 1 10.32x
Hornsey 1 2.94x
Kimberworth 1 6.75x
Lambeth 1 0.43x
Lee 1 7.50x
Llandaff 1 6.41x
Monks Coppenhall 1 4.46x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 4.82x
Newent 1 37.31x
Norton 1 28.82x
Rawdon 1 31.85x
Richmond 1 5.44x
Shoreditch London 1 0.86x
St George Bloomsbury 1 6.47x
St Pancras London 1 0.46x
Stretford 1 5.69x
West Bromwich 1 1.92x
Whitechapel London 1 3.77x
Willesborough 1 40.49x
Woking 1 12.64x
Yoxall 1 83.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 11
Ada 8
Ann 8
Martha 5
Emily 4
Fanny 4
Frances 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Eliz. 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Priscilla 2
Susan 2
Agness 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Apna 1
Betty 1
Edith 1
Effey 1
Ethel 1
Georgiana 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Jessy 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Maryann 1
Michal 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Pamela 1
Rachell 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
S. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
George 16
Thomas 11
Robert 8
John 7
Charles 6
James 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Harry 4
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Stephen 4
Christopher 3
Ernest 3
Edward 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Maurice 2
Newark 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Dan 1
Dennis 1
J. 1
Leonard 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Smelt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smelt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 275 people were recorded with the Smelt surname. That placed it at #10,330 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smelt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016. That gives Smelt a modern rank of #13,611.

What does the Smelt surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the metalworking trade of smelting.

What does the Smelt map show?

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