Skip to main content

Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • English : occupational name for a smith who worked in iron (‘black metal’), as opposed to tin (‘white metal’). This was never established as a surname in England or Scotland, which suggests that the name may have been adopted in North America as a translation of an occupational name for a blacksmith from some other language (see Smith).

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe