Where does “Smithson” come from?
Smithson is an English surname derived from smith, which traces through Middle English smith and Old English smiþ to Proto-Germanic smiþaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European smēy-.
Smithson (English): for a son of a smith
Definitions
- for a son of a smith
Ancestry of “Smithson”, step by step
Smithson traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Sơn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Sơn | — |
| 2 | Middle English | sone | son; soon; Alternative form of sonne |
| 3 | Old English | sōna | immediately, at once |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | sān(ō) | immediately |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sēna | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *sa | — |
| 7 | Proto-Austronesian | *əsa | — |
| 8 | Proto-Oceanic | *isa | — |
via English Smith
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Smith | (the most common in Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) |
| 2 | Middle English | smiþ | Alternative form of smyth |
| 3 | Middle English | smyth | A blacksmith; one who works with iron; A... |
| 4 | Old English | smiþ | smith |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *smiþ | craftsman, smith |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | smiþaz | craftsman, smith |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smēy- | — |