John Smith

John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person.

Notable people with the name include:

People

Academics John Smith (astronomer) (1711–1795), Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Master of Caius John Smith (anatomist and chemist) (1721–1797), professor of anatomy and chemistry at the University of Oxford, 1767–1797 John Smith (antiquary) (1747–1807), Scottish antiquary and Gaelic scholar John Blair Smith (1764–1799), president of Union College, New York John Smith (professor of languages) (1752–1809), professor of languages at Dartmouth College John Augustine Smith (1782–1865), president of the College of William and Mary, 1814–1826 John Smith (botanist) (1798–1888), curator of Kew Gardens J. Lawrence Smith (chemist) (1818–1883), American doctor and chemist John Smith (dentist) (1825–1910), founder of Edinburgh's School of Dentistry John Campbell Smith (1828–1914), Scottish writer, advocate and Sheriff-Substitute of Forfarshire John Donnell Smith (1829–1928), biologist and taxonomist John McGarvie Smith (1844–1918), Australian metallurgist and bacteriologist John Bernhardt Smith (1858–1912), American entomologist John Alexander Smith (1863–1939), British Idealist philosopher John Merlin Powis Smith (1866–1932), English-born, American orientalist and biblical scholar John E. Sharwood Smith (1919–2007), English professor of classics John Edwin Smith (1921–2009), American philosopher John Cyril Smith (1922–2003), leading authority on English criminal law John Derek Smith (1924–2003), Cambridge molecular biologist John Smith (sociologist) (1927–2002), English sociologist John D. Smith (born 1946), indologist at the University of Cambridge John H. Smith (mathematician), Boston College educator (retired 2005)

Arts John Smith (engraver) (1652–1742), English mezzotint engraver John Smith (English poet) (1662–1717), English poet and playwright John Christopher Smith (1712–1795), English composer John Warwick Smith (1749–1831), British watercolour landscape painter and illustrator John Stafford Smith (1750–1836), composer of the tune for "The Star-Spangled Banner" John Raphael Smith (1751–1812), English mezzotint engraver and painter John Thomas Smith (engraver) (1766–1833), draughtsman, engraver and antiquarian John Rubens Smith (1775–1849), London-born painter, printmaker and art instructor who worked in the US John Smith (art historian) (1781–1855), British art dealer John Orrin Smith (1799–1843), English wood engraver John Frederick Smith (1806–1890), English novelist John Rowson Smith (1810–1864), American panorama painter John Kelday Smith (1834–1889), Scottish bellhanger and songwriter John Moyr Smith (1839–1912), British architect, artist and designer John G. Smith (poet) (died 1891), Scottish poet John Berryman (1914–1972), originally John Allyn Smith, American poet John Smith (Canadian poet) (1927–2018), Canadian poet John Smith (actor) (1931–1995), American actor John N. Smith (born 1943), Canadian film director and screenwriter John F. Smith (musician) (born 1950), British musician and trade unionist John Smith (English filmmaker) (born 1952), avant-garde filmmaker John Noel Smith (born 1952), Irish artist John Warner Smith (born 1952), American poet and educator John F. Smith (writer), American soap opera writer and producer John Douglas Smith (born 1966), Canadian sound editor John Smith (comics writer) (born 1967), British comics writer John Smith (folk musician), English contemporary folk musician and recording artist John Smith (comedian), British comedian, actor and performer

Business John Smith (vegetarian) (–1870), English banker and vegetarianism activist John Smith (banker) (1797–1866), Scottish banker and philanthropist, working in England John Russell Smith (1810–1894), English bookseller and bibliographer John J. Smith (1820–1906), African-American abolitionist, Underground Railroad contributor and politician John Smith (brewer) (1824–1879), Tadcaster brewery founder in North Yorkshire, UK John K. Smith (1805–1845), American pharmacist and businessman, founder of the company which would later become SmithKline, a major pharmaceutical company John L. Smith (pharmaceutical executive) (1889–1950), German-born American chemist, pharmaceutical executive and Major League Baseball team owner John F. Smith Jr. (born 1938), former chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors John Smith (BBC executive) (born 1957), former chief executive officer of BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Crime John Smith (housebreaker) (1661–after 1727), London housebreaker who evaded hanging thrice and was eventually transported to Virginia John Smith (died 1835) (1795–1835), one of the last two Englishmen who were hanged for sodomy in 1835 John Eldon Smith (1930–1983), convicted of the murders of Ronald and Juanita Akins John Smith (murderer) (born 1951), American convicted murderer

Law John Witherspoon Smith (1778–1829), American lawyer John Sidney Smith (legal writer) (1804–1871), English legal writer John William Smith (legal writer) (1809–1845), English barrister and legal writer John Smalman Smith, (1847–1914), British judge in the Colony of Lagos John Lewis Smith Jr. (1912–1992), US federal judge John Smith (police officer) (born 1938), British police officer, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, 1991–1995 John Smith (South African judge) (born 1958), South African judge Jack Smith (lawyer) (born 1969), American lawyer

Medicine John Gordon Smith (surgeon) (1792–1833), Scottish surgeon and professor of medical jurisprudence John Smith (physician) ( 1800–1879), Scottish physician specialising in treating the insane John Alexander Smith (physician) (1818–1883), Scottish physician, antiquarian, archaeologist and ornithologist

Military

John Smith (banneret) (1616–1644), Englishman who supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War John Kilby Smith (1752–1842), Continental Army brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War John Smith (British Army officer, born 1754) (1754–1837), British artillery officer in the American Revolutionary War, later promoted to major-general John Smith (United States Navy officer) (1780–1815), US Navy captain Frederick Smith (British Army officer, born 1790) (John Mark Frederick Smith, 1790–1874), British general and colonel-commandant of the Royal Engineers John Smith (sergeant) (1814–1864), soldier in the Bengal Sappers and Miners, and Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross recipient John E. Smith (general) (1816–1897), Swiss emigrant, Union general during the Civil War John Smith (private) (1822–1866), soldier in the 1st Madras (European) Fusiliers and Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross recipient John Smith (Medal of Honor, born 1826) (1826–1907), American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient John Smith (Medal of Honor, born 1831) (1831–?), American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient John Smith (Medal of Honor, born 1854) (1854–?), US Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient John Manners Smith (1864–1920), British Indian Army lieutenant awarded the Victoria Cross, later promoted to lieutenant-colonel John Smith, the nom de guerre(French) adopted by Gopal Mukund Huddar (1902–1981) during the Spanish Civil War John Smith (flying ace) (1914–1972), US Marine Corps flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient John Malcolm Smith (1922–1981), US Navy flying ace in World War II

Politics Australia John Smith (New South Wales politician, born 1811) (1811–1895), pastoralist and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council John Smith (Victoria politician) (1816–1879), mayor of Melbourne John Smith (New South Wales politician, born 1821) (1821–1885), Scottish/Australian professor and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council John Samuel Smith (1841–1882), pastoralist and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (Wellington) John Gordon Smith (politician) (1863–1921), member of the Queensland Legislative Council John Henry Smith (politician) (1881–1953), member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia

Canada John David Smith (Upper Canada politician) (1786–1849), businessman and politician in Upper Canada John Shuter Smith ( 1813–1871), lawyer and politician in Canada West John Smith (Manitoba politician) (1817–1889), English-born farmer and politician in Manitoba John Smith (Peel MPP) (1831–1909), Scottish-born Ontario businessman and politician John Smith (Kent MPP), member of the 1st Ontario Legislative Assembly, 1867–1871 John W. Y. Smith (1869–1936), member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick John Smith (Ontario MP) (1894–1977), member of the Canadian House of Commons Jack Smith (politician) (John Eachern Smith, 1901–1967), Canadian politician and newspaper editor John James Smith (1912–1987), member of the Canadian House of Commons John Donald Smith (1919–1997), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia John Roxburgh Smith (1938–2018), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario John David Smith (Ontario politician), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1975

United Kingdom John Smith alias Dyer (1498/99–1571), member of parliament (MP) for Ipswich John Smith (High Sheriff of Kent) (1557–1608), MP for Aylesbury and Hythe John Smith (steward of Berkeley) (1567–1640), English genealogical antiquary and politician John Smith (explorer) (1580–1631), helped found the Virginia Colony and became Colonial Governor of Virginia Sir John Smith of Grothill ( 1600– 1675), Scottish landowner, merchant and Lord Provost of Edinburgh John Smith (Cavalier, born 1608) (1608–1657), English politician who sat in the House of Commons, 1640–1644 John Smith (Chancellor of the Exchequer) (1655/56–1723), English Speaker of the House of Commons, 1705–1708 John Smith (English judge) (1657–1726), Justice of Common Pleas in Ireland until 1702, then Baron of the Exchequer John Smith (Southampton MP), MP for Southampton from 1698 to 1700 John Smith (Bath MP) (1727–1775), MP for Bath John Smith (Wendover MP) (1767–1842), member of Parliament for Wendover John Spencer Smith (1769–1845), British diplomat, politician, and writer John Smith (Deputy Governor of Anguilla) (died 1776), Deputy Governor of Anguilla John Benjamin Smith (1796–1879), British Liberal MP for Stirling Burghs 1847–1852 and Stockport 1852–1874 John Abel Smith (1802–1871), British Member of Parliament for Chichester and Midhurst John Smith (Conservative politician) (1923–2007), MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, founded the Landmark Trust John Hilary Smith (born 1928), colonial governor and administrator John Smith, Baron Kirkhill (1930–2023), life peer in the House of Lords John Smith (Labour Party leader) (1938–1994), leader of the British Labour Party John Smith (Welsh politician) (born 1951), Welsh politician and Labour Party member of Parliament

United States John Smith (President of Rhode Island) (died 1663), colonial president (governor) of Rhode Island John Smith (Virginia burgess) (1620–1663), Virginia colonial politician John Smith (Ohio politician, died 1824) ( 1735–1824), US senator from Ohio John Smith (Virginia representative) (1750–1836), US representative from Virginia's 3rd Congressional District John Smith (New York politician, born 1752) (1752–1816), US senator from New York John Cotton Smith (1765–1845), eighth Governor of Connecticut John Smith (Vermont politician) (1789–1858), US representative from Vermont's 4th Congressional District John Speed Smith (1792–1854), US representative from Kentucky John T. Smith (politician) (1801–1864), US representative from Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District, 1843–1845 John B. Smith (Wisconsin politician) (1811–1879), Wisconsin politician John Derby Smith (1812–1884), minister, physician, and Massachusetts state legislator