Highsmith
An English-style surname that likely began as a descriptive or locational nickname for a smith who lived or worked on higher ground.
The #7,721 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,818 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Highsmith is a transparent compound of English elements: "high" and "smith." The second part is the common occupational word for a metalworker, while the first most likely referred to height, elevation, or a place on higher ground. As a surname, it may have started either as a nickname for a smith at a hilltop or upper settlement, or as a descriptive byname later fixed as a family name.
History
This is a relatively uncommon surname in English-speaking countries and appears to be especially established in the United States. Like many surnames built from ordinary words, it may have arisen independently in more than one family line. The form is straightforward enough that it may also have been influenced by later spelling regularization.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it combines a common occupational term with a simple topographic adjective, Highsmith is one of those surnames whose meaning is still fairly legible to modern English speakers.