Jennifer Perzel, age 14, of Dunlap, I11., for her question:

HOW DID THE NAME SMITH COME ABOUT?

A great many family names came from an ancestor's occupation. Today you'll find lots of names like Baker, Cook, Miller, Taylor, Carpenter and Farmer because back in the olden days many were engaged in these fields of endeavor.

The family name of Smith is also one based on an occupation. It is a form of blacksmith, and there were many in every village.

The Smith name, however, has a special honor: It is the most common surname in the English language. And it is also common in other countries and languages, too. It takes the form of Schmidt in Germany, Lefevre in France, Kuznetzvo in Russia and Ferraro in Italy.