How Many People Are Named William Smith?
Statistical full-name demographic model combining official Social Security & Census data
Under our demographic statistical model, an estimated ~17,180 living people in the United States share the full name William Smith.
William
William ranks as the #5 most common given name in U.S. Social Security history, with an estimated 2,074,956 living bearers nationwide.
Smith
Smith ranks as the #1 most frequent surname in official U.S. Census Bureau tabulations, representing 2,442,977 individuals across decennial returns.
How We Estimate Full-Name Frequency
Because privacy laws prevent the release of individualized master population rosters, statistical demographic models use the law of independent probabilities to estimate full-name frequencies:
1. First-Name Frequency: Based on historical SSA birth registrations adjusted by CDC life table actuarial survival rates.
2. Surname Frequency: Based on official U.S. Census Bureau decennial surname tabulations.
3. Mathematical Note: First and last names do not always distribute with complete independence across all ethnic sub-populations. This figure represents an evidence-grounded statistical estimate rather than an exact physical roll-call.
Related Full-Name Combinations
Explore demographic estimates for other combinations featuring William or Smith:
Frequently Asked Questions About William Smith
How many people in the U.S. have the full name William Smith?
Based on joint demographic modeling of Social Security and Census datasets, an estimated 17,180 living people in the United States share the full name William Smith.
Is this an exact count of living individuals named William Smith?
No. This is a statistical estimate calculated from independent first-name and surname distributions. The U.S. government does not publish a direct enumeration of identifiable full names for privacy reasons.
How is the William Smith full-name estimate calculated?
We calculate the joint probability of having the first name William (~2,074,956 living bearers) and the surname Smith (~2,442,977 Census occurrences) across the U.S. population under the statistical independence assumption.
What data sources are used?
Our model utilizes official U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA 1880–2024) birth applications, CDC/NCHS actuarial life tables for cohort survival, and U.S. Decennial Census surname frequency tabulations.
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