NameCensus.

UK surname

Smout

An English surname derived from a nickname for a stout or plump person.

In the 1881 census there were 476 people recorded with the Smout surname, ranking it #7,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 741, ranked #7,368, down from #7,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Shiffnal and Worthen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Powys and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Smout is 752 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.7%.

1881 census count

476

Ranked #7,022

Modern count

741

2016, ranked #7,368

Peak year

2010

752 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Smout had 476 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016, ranked #7,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 664 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Smout surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Smout surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Smout 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 347 #6,781
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 476 #7,022
1891 historical 485 #7,607
1901 historical 593 #7,137
1911 historical 664 #6,331
1997 modern 729 #7,021
1998 modern 735 #7,218
1999 modern 720 #7,362
2000 modern 741 #7,171
2001 modern 721 #7,194
2002 modern 733 #7,236
2003 modern 728 #7,163
2004 modern 720 #7,228
2005 modern 708 #7,265
2006 modern 702 #7,332
2007 modern 711 #7,336
2008 modern 714 #7,366
2009 modern 726 #7,418
2010 modern 752 #7,367
2011 modern 739 #7,396
2012 modern 745 #7,267
2013 modern 737 #7,445
2014 modern 741 #7,454
2015 modern 741 #7,377
2016 modern 741 #7,368

Geography

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Where Smouts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Shiffnal, Worthen, Eaton, Rushbury and Pontesbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Powys and Telford and Wrekin. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Shiffnal Shropshire
3 Worthen Montgomeryshire
4 Eaton, Rushbury Shropshire
5 Pontesbury Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 003 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 015 Shropshire
3 Powys 008 Powys
4 Telford and Wrekin 017 Telford and Wrekin
5 Powys 006 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Smout

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Smout

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Smout, 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 Smout surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Smout 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Smout is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Smout 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

Smout falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Smout

The surname Smout is believed to have originated in the Netherlands or Low Countries region during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "smout," which means "grease" or "fat." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation, possibly a cook or someone who worked with fats or oils.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch city of Leiden in the early 16th century. A man named Jan Smout was listed as a resident in a municipal record from 1518. Another early reference is found in the town of Gouda, where a Cornelis Smout was mentioned in a legal document dated 1534.

The Smout name appears to have spread from the Netherlands to other parts of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. In England, there are records of a John Smout who was born in London in 1585. He later became a merchant and was involved in the shipping trade with the Dutch Republic.

In Scotland, the Smout surname has a long history, with some records indicating that the name may have originated there independently from the Dutch version. One of the earliest known Scottish Smouts was David Smout, who was born in Dundee in 1622 and worked as a baker.

Notable individuals with the Smout surname include:

1. Sir John Smout (1720-1787), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. 2. Robert Smout (1777-1856), a Scottish architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh. 3. Alice Smout (1857-1938), an English writer and translator who was known for her work on German literature. 4. Jan Smout (1892-1952), a Dutch painter and etcher who was part of the Amsterdam Impressionist movement. 5. Christopher Smout (1933-2023), a Scottish historian and academic who specialized in environmental history and the history of Scotland.

While the surname Smout may not have been as prominent as some other last names, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the movement of people and the changing occupations and lifestyles of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Smout families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Smout 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. Shropshire leads with 218 Smouts recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.34x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 218 54.34x
Staffordshire 59 3.76x
Montgomeryshire 41 38.53x
Worcestershire 36 5.94x
Middlesex 22 0.47x
Yorkshire 21 0.46x
Herefordshire 15 7.88x
Warwickshire 12 1.02x
Devon 9 0.93x
Northumberland 9 1.30x
Radnorshire 6 16.02x
Sussex 6 0.77x
Glamorgan 5 0.62x
Gloucestershire 5 0.55x
Denbighshire 4 2.28x
Surrey 3 0.13x
Lancashire 2 0.04x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Kent 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 33 Smouts recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.69x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 33 56.69x
Westbury 33 1594.20x
Madeley 17 115.57x
Pontesbury 17 348.36x
Worthen 17 399.06x
Rushbury 16 2000.00x
Feckenham 13 187.32x
Shrewsbury St Chad 13 92.33x
Kimberworth 12 46.99x
St George Hanover 12 19.80x
Wolverhampton 12 9.96x
Stoke St Milborough 11 1309.52x
Bedlington 9 39.01x
Shifnal 9 82.64x
Stoke Damerel 9 13.31x
Claverley 8 295.20x
Llandyssil 8 701.75x
Peterchurch 8 784.31x
St Martin 8 178.17x
Willenhall 8 27.25x
Alberbury 7 744.68x
Moughtrey 7 864.20x
Webheath 7 648.15x
Frodesley 6 1621.62x
Hastings Holy Trinity 6 103.99x
Kerry 6 187.50x
Chirbury 5 211.86x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 14.30x
Diddlebury 5 378.79x
Gloucester St Aldate 5 442.48x
Kenley 5 1470.59x
Kings Norton 5 9.20x
Llanbadarn Fawr 5 515.46x
Oldbury 5 16.76x
Pool 5 62.34x
Wellington 5 22.17x
Aberdare 4 7.21x
Harborne 4 7.96x
Leintwardine 4 645.16x
Ludlow St Lawrence 4 50.13x
Minera 4 168.07x
Newtown 4 58.82x
Sheffield 4 2.73x
St Martin In Fields 4 14.39x
Aston 3 0.93x
Berriew 3 102.39x
Cardington 3 326.09x
Eaton 3 416.67x
Kensington London 3 1.16x
Onibury 3 410.96x
Redditch 3 24.41x
Stokesay 3 254.24x
Wheathill 3 1764.71x
Benthall 2 281.69x
Birmingham 2 0.51x
Broseley 2 28.05x
Cainham 2 107.53x
Eyton Upon Wild Moors 2 289.86x
Hereford St Owen 2 31.80x
Lambeth 2 0.49x
Llanidloes 2 25.35x
Llanmerewig 2 400.00x
Sandal Magna 2 29.41x
Stanton Lacy 2 57.80x
Bettws 1 109.89x
Culmington 1 113.64x
Ecclesfield 1 2.96x
Edgbaston 1 2.75x
Halford 1 250.00x
Hammersmith London 1 0.87x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 11.67x
Lingen 1 212.77x
Liverpool 1 0.30x
Llanbister 1 76.92x
Meriden 1 75.19x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 1.29x
Rotherham 1 3.86x
Upper Penn 1 25.45x
Walton On Hill 1 3.35x
Worfield 1 35.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 22
Sarah 22
Jane 17
Ann 13
Martha 9
Emma 7
Fanny 7
Hannah 7
Annie 6
Catherine 5
Ellen 5
Alice 4
Eliza 4
Harriett 4
Margaret 4
Susan 4
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Phebe 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Betress 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
E.A. 1
Eleanor 1
Elezabeth 1
Elizebth 1
Ella 1
Henrietta 1
I.J. 1
Ida 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lewisa 1
Lizzie 1
Timothy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
William 29
Thomas 19
Edward 17
Charles 12
Richard 12
James 10
Samuel 10
Joseph 9
Henry 8
Francis 6
George 6
Alfred 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Edwin 2
Isaac 2
Wm. 2
Alan 1
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Arther 1
Elias 1
Frederic 1
Gilbert 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Job 1
Leonard 1
Morris 1
Moses 1
Price 1
Rich 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
W.C. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Smout surname: questions and answers

How common was the Smout surname in 1881?

In 1881, 476 people were recorded with the Smout surname. That placed it at #7,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Smout surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016. That gives Smout a modern rank of #7,368.

What does the Smout surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for a stout or plump person.

What does the Smout map show?

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