Explore the Family Name Smoley
The meaning of Smoley
Americanized form of Slovenian and Slovak Smolej: from a derivative of smola ‘resin, pitch’, figuratively ‘bad luck’, used as a nickname for an unlucky person or a cobbler (see Smola and Smole).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Smoley in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Smoley' witnessed a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 54,020th most common surname but dropped down to the 60,790th position in 2010 - showing a change of -12.53%. Correspondingly, the count of individuals carrying this surname also reduced from 358 in 2000 to 331 in 2010, marking a -7.54% shift. Furthermore, the proportion per 100,000 people with this surname decreased by -15.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #54,020 | #60,790 | -12.53% |
| Count | 358 | 331 | -7.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.11 | -15.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Smoley
As for the ethnicity distribution associated with the surname 'Smoley', based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority identified as White in both years, though there was a slight decrease from 98.04% in 2000 to 96.07% in 2010. There were no recorded instances of Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities among individuals with this surname in either year. Notably, the 2010 census reported a small percentage (2.11%) of people with the Smoley surname identifying as Hispanic, which was not previously recorded in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.04% | 96.07% | -2.01% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.11% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |