Small Surname

5,016th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 112,921 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Barbados

Small Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the small'; compare Large, Bigg, Little, &c.

Robert le Small, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Henry le Smale, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Richard le Smale, Close Rolls, 9 Edward II.

Read More About This Surname

Small Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States62,5561:5,794673
England13,5961:4,098551
Australia6,8191:3,959563
Canada5,9971:6,144894
South Africa4,6901:11,5521,437
Jamaica3,7171:772146
Barbados2,1701:13215
Scotland2,0681:2,589479
New Zealand1,8311:2,473346
Trinidad and Tobago1,2011:1,136168
Northern Ireland8441:2,186451
Panama7601:5,148582
Guyana6371:1,197187
Wales6031:5,132562
Uganda5541:70,4687,816
Ireland5461:8,6241,191
Saudi Arabia4371:70,60810,708
Egypt4271:215,30615,336
Russia3161:456,08642,923
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines3151:35872
Thailand2361:299,31551,621
Iran2191:350,60523,438
Venezuela1561:193,6165,355
Bahamas1481:2,647354
France1341:495,69269,430
Afghanistan1171:274,8144,496
Saint Lucia901:1,986341
Peru841:378,38212,510
Antigua and Barbuda821:1,209212
Germany801:1,006,31869,119
Suriname771:7,1771,738
Botswana721:30,3746,067
Spain671:697,79230,551
Portugal661:157,8526,835
Brazil651:3,293,45194,173
Belize631:5,642954
China561:24,416,4571,335
Argentina541:791,54552,685
Nigeria541:3,280,42199,135
Cayman Islands511:1,253164
Zimbabwe491:315,06631,156
United States Virgin Islands471:2,348405
Dominican Republic461:226,8038,136
Belarus371:256,78530,179
Netherlands351:482,49146,668
Saint Kitts and Nevis351:1,577282
Singapore341:161,9916,884
India311:24,744,045333,161
Kuwait291:131,05814,967
Jersey271:3,674721
Sweden271:364,69525,646
Malaysia251:1,179,76951,323
Qatar251:94,32010,875
Switzerland251:328,51725,592
Norway211:244,87126,357
Philippines201:5,061,911170,869
Japan181:7,102,46143,008
Bermuda171:3,840587
Denmark141:403,19427,097
Hong Kong141:523,9633,360
Poland141:2,714,911112,031
Ecuador131:1,223,52716,126
Kazakhstan131:1,360,19271,840
British Virgin Islands101:3,159366
Kenya101:4,617,99042,693
Vietnam101:9,264,6052,710
Cuba91:1,280,3027,343
Ethiopia91:10,838,47414,518
Fiji91:99,3771,883
Ghana91:3,002,29911,581
Greece91:1,231,08885,267
Grenada91:12,059865
Liberia91:489,83723,279
Sierra Leone91:787,737678
Czechia81:1,329,18491,312
Italy81:7,644,586115,463
Belgium71:1,642,37898,400
Mexico71:17,732,31550,495
Papua New Guinea71:1,164,817109,517
Colombia51:9,554,81425,159
Costa Rica51:956,0146,058
Montserrat51:989156
Austria41:2,128,85991,203
Guernsey41:16,1101,225
Hungary41:2,454,06961,891
Indonesia41:33,062,298643,618
Iraq41:8,755,41423,373
Seychelles41:23,0981,012
Sri Lanka41:5,202,14012,146
Cambodia31:5,162,38210,688
Puerto Rico31:1,183,3805,289
Turkey31:25,940,474162,557
United Arab Emirates31:3,054,09190,853
Cameroon21:10,384,534165,830
Chile21:8,808,23765,417
Finland21:2,748,35172,663
Georgia21:1,872,77235,618
Jordan21:4,421,21822,351
Lesotho21:1,016,27921,693
Macau21:300,8151,009
Oman21:1,843,9869,590
Pakistan21:89,321,942157,560
South Korea21:25,620,1284,175
Taiwan21:11,722,37363,559
Algeria11:38,631,551130,422
American Samoa11:55,7583,072
Andorra11:83,8382,381
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Benin11:10,335,602103,742
Croatia11:4,228,60499,289
Djibouti11:914,9321,612
Estonia11:1,321,80440,178
Gabon11:1,889,1946,814
Guam11:160,1214,893
Guinea11:11,833,8173,268
Isle of Man11:85,8224,091
Israel11:8,557,634182,558
Laos11:6,588,3231,961
Libya11:6,243,9746,186
Malta11:430,2723,380
Micronesia11:106,2431,380
Mongolia11:2,825,28917,010
Morocco11:34,476,099111,471
Myanmar11:51,937,9852,166
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Samoa11:193,8081,089
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Syria11:19,301,02222,457
Tonga11:107,313791
Tunisia11:610,62630,336
Turks and Caicos Islands11:34,329862
Uruguay11:3,431,75838,295
Uzbekistan11:30,929,14267,786
Yemen11:26,425,29455,147
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland9111:4,863817
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England5,4671:4,459673
Scotland2,0281:1,846339
Wales1261:12,448758
Jersey41:12,9712,116
Guernsey11:32,6562,283
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States14,9911:3,350398

Small (2,420) may also be a first name.

Small Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the small'; compare Large, Bigg, Little, &c.

Robert le Small, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Henry le Smale, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Richard le Smale, Close Rolls, 9 Edward II.

Adam le Smale, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Willelmus Smale, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Thomas Smale, rector of Lerling, Norfolk, 1468: History of Norfolk.

1508. Nicholas Smale or Small: Register of the University of Oxford.

1621. Baptised — Elizabeth, d. John Small: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1731. Married — John Smale and Ann Collett: St. George, Hanover Square.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

Richard Smale or Smail,, canon of Glasgow, a. 1329, 1337 (RHM., II, p. 10; Pap. Lett., II, p. 540) may be Richard Small, rector of the church of Rachou, 1348 (SCM., V, p. 246). Thomas Smale appears as witness in Roxburgh, c. 1338 (Dryburgh, 313), and Cristiana: widow of Thomas Small, held the vill of Estir Softlawe in Teuidalle, 1360 (Bain, IV, 50). William Small was a tenant of the Douglas in Linton, 1376 (RHM., II, p. 16). Simo Smale was a forestaller in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, 1402; and John Smale was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1407 (NSCM., I, p. 2). Rinkin Small was witness in Prestwick, 1446 (Prestwick, p. 114), and John Smalle had a safe conduct to trade in England with Scottish merchandise, 1447 (Bain, IV, 1190). David Smal of Jedburgh is in record 1450 (RAA., II, 91), and Alexander Small, a native of Scotland, received letters of denization in England, 1503 (Bain, IV, 1731). Thomas Sma was tenant under Abbey of Kelso, 1567 (Kelso, p. 520), and Henry Smaill is recorded in Lessuden, 1657 (RRM., I, p. 141). Smaw 1565.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) Little, Slender [M.E,smal(le, smaill, etc., Old English smæl ( = Old Saxon O.H.Ger.

and Scandinavian smal] This name has been used as the English equivalent of the Irish Keelty (O’Caoiltigh) [from Irish caol, small].

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

A form, by translation, of Begg. It is also widelly used for Kielty, q.v., and variants in north-east Ulster. IF 307*

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

(English) The little or slender person.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Diminutive in person-equivalent to Little, Petit, &c.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Small Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Small Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Small (Arabic: قليل, Bengali: স্মল, Marathi: माल, Russian: Смалл) occurs in The United States more than any other country or territory. It can appear as a variant:. For other possible spellings of this name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Small? popularity and diffusion

The surname Small is the 5,016th most frequently held family name in the world, borne by approximately 1 in 64,537 people. It is primarily found in The Americas, where 61 percent of Small live; 52 percent live in North America and 52 percent live in Anglo-North America. Small is also the 150,669th most numerous forename on earth, held by 2,420 people.

The last name is most frequently held in The United States, where it is carried by 62,556 people, or 1 in 5,794. In The United States Small is most prevalent in: California, where 8 percent are found, Florida, where 7 percent are found and Texas, where 6 percent are found. Not including The United States Small occurs in 137 countries. It is also found in England, where 12 percent are found and Australia, where 6 percent are found.

Small Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Small has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people carrying the Small surname expanded 417 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 249 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it expanded 102 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it expanded 479 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it declined 40 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Small Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those bearing the Small surname is primarily Catholic (56%) in Ireland and Orthodox (100%) in Russia.

In The United States those holding the Small surname are 3.25% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 50.02% being registered with the political party.

The amount Small earn in different countries varies notably. In Norway they earn 2.69% less than the national average, earning 336,774 kr per year; in Peru they earn 13.6% more than the national average, earning S/. 22,021 per year; in South Africa they earn 19.43% more than the national average, earning R 283,800 per year; in United States they earn 0.44% less than the national average, earning $42,960 USD per year and in Canada they earn 3.97% more than the national average, earning $51,655 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Smaill91411/
Smalle91245/
Smeall91221/
Szmall9124/
Smalll918/
Shmall914/
Smallh911/
Sxmall911/
Smaull911/
Smmall910/
Ssmall910/
Scmall910/
Smal8913,194/
Schmall831,341/
Smaille833/
Smatell833/
Smhaill831/
Smail8030,137/
Smale807,036/
Smayl802,458/
Shmal802,107/
Smeal801,602/
Smaal801,578/
Smoll80383/
Szmal80332/
Smalt80251/
Smahl8063/
Smaïl8034/
Smaul8029/
Smalø8019/
Smajl808/
Scmal802/
Jmall802/
Smalh802/
Jsmal801/
Zmall801/
Smald801/
Ssmal801/
Smaãl801/
Sxmal801/
Dsmal801/
Schmalle77178/
Schmal733,189/
Shmalh73438/
Smaile73391/
Smolle73178/
Smatel73159/
S'Mail7355/
Shmail7328/
Jsmail7325/
Shsmal7310/
Smagli738/
Szmoll738/
Scmoll737/
Smasel737/
Smahal737/
Shmaal736/
Smayle735/
Szmale734/
Szmail734/
Smeale733/
S'Maïl733/
Smault732/
Shmale732/
Smalhe732/
Smalth731/
Ỉsmail731/
Smailė731/
Ssmail731/
Smhail731/
Hsmail731/
Scmahl730/
Smaldt730/
Shmoll730/
Schmoll676,587/
Schmahl673,997/
Jmal671,890/
Smol671,207/
Schmaal67284/
Smassel6795/
Schmalt6769/
Schmeal6758/
Smál6749/
Schmald6743/
Schmaul6737/
Smalova6732/
S'Maile6710/
Zmal679/
Šmal678/
Shmagli676/
Smól676/
Smeille675/
Shshmal674/
Cmal673/
Shchmal672/
Schmasl671/
Shmault671/
Smalová671/
Smał671/
Schmáll671/
Szmacel671/
Schmalh671/
Shmahal671/
Jsmmail671/
Schmail670/
Smoille670/

Small Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Small in the Bengali language
স্মলsmala-
Small in the Marathi language
मालmala-
Small in the Russian language
Смаллsmall-
Small in the Arabic language
قليلqlyl-

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Small Reference & Research

Small DNA Website - A web page dedicated to the genetic research of those who bear the surname and its variants.

Small FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Small
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis