Explore the Family Name Smola
The meaning of Smola
1. Polish (Smoła) and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic; also Smoła): metonymic occupational name for a distiller or burner of pitch, from Polish smoła, East Slavic smola ‘pitch, tar’ (compare below). See also Smolka. 2. Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian: metonymic occupational name for a person who gathered natural resins from pines and firs or for a distiller or burner of pitch, from smola ‘resin, pitch’ (compare above); also a nickname for an unlucky person, since in these languages the figurative sense of smola is ‘bad luck’ (compare Pech). At least in Czech it could also be a nickname for someone with very dark hair or for a slow person. Some characteristic forenames: Polish Halina, Ludwik, Mieczyslaw, Thadeus.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Smola in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Smola has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 23,698th in 2000, it dropped to 26,143rd place by 2010, a decline of 10.32%. The count of individuals with this surname also fell from 997 to 936 in the same period, a decrease of 6.12%. This shift is reflected in the proportion per 100k, which went down by 13.51%, from 0.37 to 0.32.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,698 | #26,143 | -10.32% |
| Count | 997 | 936 | -6.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.37 | 0.32 | -13.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Smola
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with the surname Smola identify as White, with percentages of 97.29% in 2000 and 96.37% in 2010. There was a slight decrease in this category, with a change of -0.95% over the decade. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.50% in 2000 to 2.24% in 2010, a substantial growth of 49.33%. People identifying as belonging to two or more races also increased by 25.00%, from 0.60% to 0.75%. No changes were noted in the categories of Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with all remaining at 0.00% in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.29% | 96.37% | -0.95% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% | 2.24% | 49.33% |
| Two or More Races | 0.6% | 0.75% | 25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |