Is Smith a common name in Norway? (school, live in)

[gentlearts]

While studying the family genealogy, I found that my great grandfather, Charles Smith, was born in Norway. I had always thought he was from England.

Is the name Smith considered a Norwegian name?

[City of Rain]

Nope, atleast not anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if it was more popular maybe 2-3 generations ago, though!

I can't think of any norwegian people named Smith!

[PA2UK]

Smith is English. If someone named Smith came from Norway, their family was likely originally from England.

From Ancestry.com:

Smith Name Meaning and History
English: occupational name for a worker in metal, from Middle English smith (Old English smið, probably a derivative of smitan ‘to strike, hammer’). Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents were perhaps the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is the most frequent of all American surnames; it has also absorbed, by assimilation and translation, cognates and equivalents from many other languages (for forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988).

And:

Top Places of Origin for Smith
Place of
Origin Smith Immigrants
England 17082
Ireland 10152
Scotland 3678
Great Britain 3624
Germany 960
Sweden 198

[Mooseketeer]

An old school friend of mine who is Norwegian is called Smid which apparently means the same ( blacksmith) . Maybe he came from Norway and anglicised his name ?

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by Mooseketeer

An old school friend of mine who is Norwegian is called Smid which apparently means the same ( blacksmith) . Maybe he came from Norway and anglicised his name ?

At first I thought this, but doesn't it seem as though while still in Norway they would have used the Norwegian version? Also, does Charles seem like a Norwegian name? I hit a wall as far as going further back to see what I can see of earlier generations, because of the language barrier. He married a Norwegian girl, Martha Svenson in the US, so he must have thought of himself as Norwegian, since, at least with my relatives, they married within their own nationality back then.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

Smith is English. If someone named Smith came from Norway, their family was likely originally from England.

From Ancestry.com:



And:

This is what I'm thinking, too. Would it have been common for people from England to go live in the Scandinavian countries?
He was born in 1860.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

This is what I'm thinking, too. Would it have been common for people from England to go live in the Scandinavian countries?
He was born in 1860.

Not that I know of but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

[bluebeard]

He could have changed his name. It was quite common back then.

[domino]

Customs officials used to change people's names to Anglicized versions of foreign names when they filled out the paperwork. Or so I learned in history class.

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by domino

Customs officials used to change people's names to Anglicized versions of foreign names when they filled out the paperwork. Or so I learned in history class.

Correct. My last name is the 'anglicized' version of my grandfather's original Norwegian name (changed by customes on entry). In my case, the anglicized version retained the phonetic sound of the original; but, many did not come so close (so I'm told).