Stephen H. Smith is a Common Name; Letters to the Editor
The main reason that my name has such widespread use is primarily the result of the surname Smith. The U.S. Census indicates that the top five most common surnames are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones and Brown. Smith is by far the most common; at one in every 99 people in the United States. Stephen is the 34th most common given name; at one in every 185 males in the United States.
Several months after I retired, someone sent me the link to Stephen H. Smith’s Garden & Leisure Centre in the United Kingdom; inquiring if I started a new business. This garden centre is in Otley, West Yorkshire; which is about 25 miles west of York. I’ve done a good bit of family history research in the United Kingdom; Stephen Smith is also a very common name there.
Five e-mails in the past few days prompted this post. They all assumed it was my letter to the Editor in the April 3rd issue of the York Daily Record; concerning another view about Tom Wolf’s politics. There are several Stephen Smith’s in York County. Stephen Smith of Spring Grove wrote that letter.
I’m Stephen Smith of Springettsbury Township. Actually there are two Stephen Smith’s in Springettsbury Township; so you have to look for my middle initial “H.” Several years ago I did an Internet search of Stephen H. Smith’s in the U.S. and found 545; two in York County, PA.
To my readers of this blog, who may be upset with me, like the five e-mails; please look at the name and location closely to make my identification. There have been many previous occasions where another Steve or Stephen Smith writes letters to the Editor in York newspapers. I’d often hear from people at work on their reactions of what they incorrectly consider to be my letters; while many of the people that do not say anything, probably still think that they are my letters.
