Where does “Smith” come from?
Smith (French) comes from English Smith, from Middle English smiþ, from Middle English smyth, from Old English smiþ, from Proto-West Germanic *smiþ, from Proto-Germanic smiþaz, from Proto-Indo-European smēy-.
Ancestry of “Smith”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Smith | — |
| 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 | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | smiþaz | craftsman, smith |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smēy- | — |