Surname Smylie - Meaning and Origin
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Smylie: What does the surname Smylie mean?
The surname Smylie is of Irish origin, derived from the Old Gaelic "MacSmeely," or "MacSméiligh," from the prefix "Mac," meaning "son of," and "Smeely," a personal nickname which translates as "smiler." Thus, the surname could reference a person as the descendant of a smiling or good-natured ancestor. This surname primarily originates from Ulster, specifically County Antrim, but also found in other parts of Ireland and subsequently internationally due to Irish emigration. Remember that surnames were used to distinguish people for tax purposes in the Middle Ages, so the original bearer of this surname perhaps had this characteristic of being cheerful or smiling often. Variations of the surname include Smiley, Smyly, and Smillie. As with most surnames, it isn’t uncommon for the spelling and pronunciation to evolve over centuries and across regions.
Order DNA origin analysisSmylie: Where does the name Smylie come from?
The last name Smylie is a relatively uncommon surname today. Data from the 2019 US Census states that there are just 631 individuals in the United States with the Smylie surname, making it the 19,886th most common surname in the country. It is most common in the mid-South of the United States, with significantly higher numbers in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Tennessee is home to the majority of the people with this last name, with 278 people living in the state.
The Smylie surname has Scottish and English influences. It can be found spelled in several different ways, for example: Smeele, Smiela, Smillie, Smillies, Smill, and Smail. The origin of the Smylie name is believed to have stemmed from the Middle English word, “smal”, which was used to describe someone small, or gracefully slender in stature. It is also believed that this name was derived from the Old English elements “smeo”, which meant smooth, and “leah”, which translates to wood.
Today, members of the Smylie family can be found across the world, from the United States to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other European countries.
Variations of the surname Smylie
The surname Smylie is a patronymic surname which derives from the ancient name MacFhlaithimhghin which means ‘son of Flaithimhghin’, a personal Gaelic name. Common variants of the name include Smeele, Smeal, Smale, Smail, and Smiley, and various other alternative spellings. It is also sometimes found as an Anglicised version of the Gaelic Mac an Ghlíosaigh, which is an anglicised version of this ancient surname, meaning ‘son of an ancestor’.
The surname is also found in other countries/regions, such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and other spellings include, Smiley, Smalley, Smilie, Smillion, Smillie, Small, Smaill, Smaylie, Smelley, Smilley, Smellie, and Smalie.
One of the most common variants of this surname is ‘Smiles’, which is found in some English speaking countries, such as the United States and Canada. This particular name is derived from the Gaelic MacFhlaithimhghin and is believed to derive from the same root word, meaning ‘son of an ancestor’.
Other spellings of this surname include Smyly, Smiley, Smilyn, Smilien, Smilly, Little, Littlie, Smelie, Smeall, Smale, Smelley, Smillie and Smellow.
The surname can also be seen in various forms across various branches of the Smylie ancestral line, such as Smiley, MacSmiley, O'Smiley, MacGillies, Smelley, Smeliar and Smelie.
In summary, the surname Smylie can appear in many different spellings and variants, making it difficult to trace one particular lineage. However, with some research, it is possible to trace the different branches of the Smylie ancestry and gain a better understanding of its origin.
Famous people with the name Smylie
- Ryan Smylie: American actor most famous for playing Leon O'Leary on the Family Channel series "Mysticons."
- Sam Smylie: Former Northern Ireland football player, he played with Cliftonville and came out of retirement in 2005 to play with Lisburn Distillery.
- Vincent Smylie: British businessman, the founder of Winston's Tobacconist in 2003, which helps customers discover the right tobacco for their needs.
- Steven Smylie: Canadian Wall Street analyst, primarily focusing on mergers and acquisitions, he currently works in New York City.
- Errol Smylie: Canadian hockey player, he was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2001 Draft and plays with the Manitoba Moose.
- Patrick Smylie: Australian former doctor, he was the head of the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian government's primary health and medical research agency.
- William McKay Smylie: Canadian politician, he was a Member of Parliament for Grey North in Ontario in the 1940s.
- George Smylie: Scottish actor and theatre director, known for his work in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and other musicals.
- Irene Smylie: British actress, she was a leading actress in the 1950s, appearing in films like It Always Rains on Sunday and The Weak and the Wicked.
- Kate Smylie: Australian television journalist and news presenter, she worked for the ABC for over 20 years, becoming the chief north American correspondent in 2002.