Find out how popular the last name Goldschmidt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Goldschmidt.

Goldschmidt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Goldschmidt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goldschmidt in America

Goldschmidt is the 16933rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goldschmidt surname appeared 1,680 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Goldschmidt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goldschmidt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Goldschmidt

The surname Goldschmidt originated in Germany, likely in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "gold" meaning gold and "schmied" meaning smith or blacksmith. The name would have initially referred to a person who worked as a goldsmith, crafting and repairing gold objects.

The name is found in various historical records, including the Hamburg Passenger Lists from the 19th century which documented German emigrants. In these lists, spellings like Goldschmid and Goldschmidt are seen. The name also appears in old manuscripts and church records across Germany.

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Hans Goldschmidt, a goldsmith born around 1420 in Nuremberg, Germany. Another early bearer was Melchior Goldschmidt, a goldsmith from Augsburg, Germany, who lived in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Goldschmidt can be found in records from several German cities, including Cologne, Frankfurt, and Leipzig. During this time, some families with the name likely adopted variations like Goldschmid or Goldschmitt.

Notable individuals with the Goldschmidt surname include the German mathematician Hermann Goldschmidt (1802-1866), the Danish entrepreneur Meyer Goldschmidt (1819-1887), and the German-Jewish philosopher Hermann Levin Goldschmidt (1914-1998).

Other historical figures include the German astronomer Hermann Goldschmidt (1806-1886), who discovered several comets and asteroids, and the German-American painter and sculptor Adolph Goldschmidt (1863-1944), known for his work in the American Renaissance style.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goldschmidt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Goldschmidt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Goldschmidt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Goldschmidt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Goldschmidt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Goldschmidt, please contact us.

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