Explore the Family Name Smelley
The meaning of Smelley
Altered form of Scottish Smellie, a variant ofSmillie.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Smelley in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Smelley saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 24,037 in terms of commonality among surnames in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to rank 25,503, a change of -6.1%. The actual count of people with this surname also decreased marginally from 979 in 2000 to 969 in 2010, marking a decline of -1.02%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Smelley per 100k people dropped by -8.33%, moving from 0.36 in 2000 to 0.33 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,037 | #25,503 | -6.1% |
| Count | 979 | 969 | -1.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.36 | 0.33 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Smelley
In terms of ethnic identity, the distribution of the Smelley surname saw some changes between 2000 and 2010, as shown in the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, individuals identifying as White held the majority of the Smelley surname at 87.03%, but this percentage fell slightly to 83.28% by 2010. Over the same period, those identifying as Black increased their share from 10.93% to 11.87%. There were also notable increases in the percentages of people with the Smelley surname among those identifying as Two or More Races (from 0.61% to 1.96%) and Hispanic (from 1.12% to 1.96%). A new group emerged in 2010 as well, with 0.93% of people with the Smelley surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group maintained a consistent 0% throughout the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.03% | 83.28% | -4.31% |
| Black | 10.93% | 11.87% | 8.6% |
| Two or More Races | 0.61% | 1.96% | 221.31% |
| Hispanic | 1.12% | 1.96% | 75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.93% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |