Surname Smokes - Meaning and Origin

Smokes: What does the surname Smokes mean?

The surname Smokes doesn't have a specific origin or meaning attached to it, as it's relatively uncommon and likely arose independently in different regions. In many cases, surnames describe an occupation, a place of origin, or a descriptive characteristic. For instance, those who worked in smithing might have the surname Smokes by association with the smoke created during the smithing process. It may also have been derived from a nickname for someone who was associated with smoke in some way, either literally or symbolically. It's also possible that the surname is a locative name from a place known for producing smoke, such as a town with a lot of fireplaces or a factory that emitted smoke. The surname may have been spelled differently in the past, and was later modified into "Smokes". Regardless, the meaning of most surnames often changes over generations and may not reflect the original intent. Without a more specific context or regional history, it's challenging to define an exact meaning.

Smokes: Where does the name Smokes come from?

The last name Smokes is most commonly seen in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is also active in Australia, New Zealand and France.

In the United States, Smokes is mainly found along the East Coast, with primary concentrations in New York, Maryland and Virginia. Other notable locations include Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia. Many of the Smokes family members in America come from British Isle immigrants who originally came to Pennsylvania before the American Revolution.

In Canada, the name Smokes has a slightly different origin. It was mainly brought in by French-speaking settlers from Quebec. Many of the Smokes family members in Canada have French-Canadian heritage.

In the United Kingdom, the name Smokes is most associated with the Fenland region in England. It is believed that the name is derived from the word “Smoke,” which referred to the locals’ habit of burning peat fuels.

Today, the last name Smokes can be found in most of the countries mentioned. It is often associated with people of British and French-Canadian heritage.

Variations of the surname Smokes

The surname Smokes has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The alternate spellings for Smokes include: Smoaks, Smoakes, Smokese, Smykes, Smeeckes, Smeeckx, Smitts, and Smits.

Surnames of the same origin as Smokes include Smock, Smooke, Smoakes, Smookey, Smook, Smooks, Smokester, Smokie, Smokeless, Smecker, Smeckes, Smeckx, Smecks, Smits, and Smitts.

Smoke is an occupational surname meaning someone who works with smoke, such as a curing chimney or a tobacco harvester. The Germanic word for smoke is “schmoke” and the Old English word is “smoc”. The surname Smokes in its various spellings might come from these words as well.

Smock and Smooke are also Dutch surnames which presumably come from the Dutch word “smok” which also means smoke. The Version Smokie could be derived from the nickname “smoky” and could mean someone associated with smoke.

Smokester is an English surname which comes from the word “smokester” which is a combination of smoke and master and would likely indicate the head of a family of smoke workers. Smoking was an integral part of medieval European life so many families would have been involved in the production and sale of smoke related products.

Smokeless could be a version of Smokes derived from the english phrase “no smoke” which in this case could refer to someone in the family who either abstained from smoking or was particularly good at curing without smoke.

Lastly, Smits is a common Dutch surname which directly derives from the original Dutch word for smok/smoke.

All of these variants, spellings and surnames all derive from either the Old English or Dutch words for smoke and could all be derived from the surname Smokes.

Famous people with the name Smokes

• Chief Jake Smokes: He was a Canadian First Nations leader from the Temagami Nation of the Anishinaabe tribe of Canada. He was a prominent leader in the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation and was known for his role in the Temagami land dispute.
• Ira Smokes: He was an American basketball player who was a 4-year starter at the University of Southern Mississippi. After college, he went on to play professionally in the United States Basketball League, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association with the La Crosse Bobcats.
• Everton Smokes: He is an actor from Trinidad and Tobago who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. Some of his work can be seen in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Patriots Day, The Night Of and Homeland.
• Seaford Smokes: An American artistic carver and muralist from the Quinault Village of Taholah, Washington. Smokes was an incredibly important figure in coastal Salish culture, having helped to promote cultural reawakening amongst his people and foster pride, cultural understanding and respect.
• Alan Smokes: Also known as Divinity, he is a British Hip Hop artist hailing from London. He has opened for acts like Wiley and Kano and also collaborated with the likes of Zomby and Skepta.
• Kimberly Smokes: An American writer and poet from Pennsylvania, she is a strong advocate for mental health awareness with many of her works discussing the common stigma that still exists and her own struggles with mental illness.
• Vera Smokes: An Australian Cassandra Performance and Installation Artist, Vera is a graduate of Arts & Media from Sydney's University of Technology. Though now retired, Vera has contributed significantly to the arts throughout her career and continues to advise and mentor young artists.
• Michael Smokes: A Canadian blues and soul musician, Michael is an award winning singer, songwriter, and producer. He has released four studio albums and has been nominated for a Juno Award for Blues Recording of the year.

Other surnames

Smoke