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Schmidt Family History

Schmidt Surname Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Middle High German smit German Schmied ‘blacksmith’. This surname is also established in many other parts of Europe notably in Denmark, France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine, also Nord), the Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland.

It is also found in Slovakia, Czechia, Croatia, and Slovenia, where it is more common in Slavicized forms (see below). In part, Schmidt is a Gottscheerish (i.e. Gottschee German) surname originating from the Kočevsko region in Lower Carniola, Slovenia (see Kocevar).

Germanized form of Czech Šmíd and Šmít, Slovenian, Croatian, and Slovak Šmid or Šmit surnames of German origin (see above and Smid 2 and Smit).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Schmidt family from?

You can see how Schmidt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schmidt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Schmidt families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 405 Schmidt families living in London. This was about 55% of all the recorded Schmidt's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Schmidt families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schmidt surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Schmidt ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Miner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Schmidt. 34% of Schmidt men worked as a Miner and 55% of Schmidt women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Schmidt were Chef and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Schmidt | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Miner
    34%
  • Boarding House Manager
    34%
  • Chef
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    55%
  • Domestic Servant
    9%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Schmidt family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 730,000 census records available for the last name Schmidt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schmidt census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schmidt

Passenger Lists

There are 285,000 immigration records available for the last name Schmidt. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Schmidt immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 317,000 military records available for the last name Schmidt. For the veterans among your Schmidt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schmidt military records

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