Small Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Small last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Small last name
Meaning of the Small last name: slender, small. The Small surname began as a nickname from an Old English word meaning "thin" or "slender", and only later "small", for a slightly built person. The last name is widespread in England and Scotland. A curious detail of this family name meaning: in Ireland, Small was also used as an English stand-in for Gaelic names containing beag, "little".
Arms associated with the Small name
Animals on English shields stood for the qualities admired in them, such as the lion for courage, and that heraldic language shapes coats of arms associated with the Small surname.
Get your full Small family history
This is only a glimpse of the Small story. The full Small history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Small coat of arms. Get the full Small report.
Small name FAQ
What does the Small name mean?
Slender, small. Common variants include Smalle, Smale, Smail.
Where does the Small surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and Australia.
Is there a Small coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Small coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).