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

Kleinschmidt, 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 Kleinschmidt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kleinschmidt in America

Kleinschmidt is the 11086th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kleinschmidt surname appeared 2,863 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 Kleinschmidt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kleinschmidt 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 Kleinschmidt

The surname Kleinschmidt is of German origin, originating in the late Middle Ages or the early modern period. It is a compound name formed from the German words "klein" meaning "small" and "schmidt" meaning "smith" or "blacksmith." The name likely referred to a blacksmith of small stature or one who worked at a small forge.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Kleinschmidt can be found recorded in various German regions, including Saxony, Brandenburg, and Silesia. Variants of the spelling include Kleinschmid, Kleinschmiedt, and Kleinschmit. The name may have initially arisen as a descriptive nickname before becoming an inherited surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kleinschmidt dates back to the early 16th century. In 1523, a certain Hans Kleinschmidt is mentioned in a document from the town of Zwickau, Saxony. Another early reference is found in the 1567 church records of Cottbus, Brandenburg, where a Nickel Kleinschmidt is listed.

In the 18th century, the name Kleinschmidt can be found in various locations across Germany. For example, Johann Gottlieb Kleinschmidt (1707-1785) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. Another notable figure was Christian Kleinschmidt (1758-1831), a German poet and writer from Silesia.

During the 19th century, the Kleinschmidt name spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable bearer was Otto Kleinschmidt (1870-1949), a German anthropologist and ethnologist who conducted extensive research in New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.

Other historical figures with the surname Kleinschmidt include:

• Erich Kleinschmidt (1876-1947), a German aviation pioneer and aircraft designer.
• Hans Kleinschmidt (1885-1977), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his work in the Western genre.
• Samuel Kleinschmidt (1814-1886), a German-born missionary and linguist who worked among the Inuit in Greenland.
• Theodor Kleinschmidt (1834-1881), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.

The surname Kleinschmidt continues to be found in various parts of Germany and among German diaspora communities around the world, reflecting its long-standing presence as a distinctly German surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kleinschmidt

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

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 Kleinschmidt 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 Kleinschmidt 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 Kleinschmidt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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