Smith - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Gabhann
Meaning: “son of the smith”
Traditional stronghold: Cavan
In Ireland, usually an anglicisation of Mac Gabhann (McGowan).
Pronunciation: SMITH
History of the Smith name
In Ireland Smith is overwhelmingly an English translation of the Gaelic occupational surname Mac Gabhann or Mac an Ghabhann, 'son of the smith', reflecting how common blacksmiths were and how prestigious ironworking was in early Irish society; the name arose independently in many parts of the country. It also exists as a genuinely English and Scottish settler surname, brought by planters, soldiers and administrators from the 16th century onward, so that modern Irish bearers may descend from either the translated Gaelic form or from actual English/Scottish stock, with no way to distinguish the two without genealogical research. As the single most common surname in the English-speaking world, Smith is numerous throughout every province of Ireland.
Variants: Smyth · MacGowan (Irish form) · Gow
Famous bearers of the name
- Michelle Smith - Irish Olympic swimmer, triple gold medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Games
- Erasmus Smith - 17th-century founder of the Erasmus Smith schools in Ireland
- Bridget Smith - Irish Presbyterian missionary
- Raftery (Antoine Raiftearai) - not related; included instead: Brendan Smith, Irish playwright and Dublin Theatre Festival founder
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Brady · O'Reilly · McGowan · Clarke · McCabe · Dolan · Sheridan · McGovern