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

Schmedeke, 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 Schmedeke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schmedeke in America

Schmedeke is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schmedeke surname appeared 148 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schmedeke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schmedeke 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 Schmedeke

The surname SCHMEDEKE is of German origin and dates back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, specifically in the town of Schmedeke, which was located near the city of Magdeburg. The name is thought to be derived from the old German words "schmed" meaning "meadow" and "eke" meaning "corner" or "edge," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have lived near a meadow or on the edge of a field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SCHMEDEKE can be found in a tax register from the town of Halberstadt, dated 1538. The entry lists a "Hans Schmedeke" as a resident of the town. Another early reference is in the baptismal records of the church in Quedlinburg, where a "Johannes Schmedeke" is listed as a godparent in 1562.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various legal documents and property records from the region around Magdeburg. A notable example is the marriage contract between "Christoph Schmedeke" and "Anna Margaretha Schröder" in 1683, which details the transfer of land and property between the two families.

During the 18th century, the SCHMEDEKE name began to spread beyond its original homeland. In 1724, a "Johann Friedrich Schmedeke" is recorded as immigrating to the American colonies, settling in the German community of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Another notable figure from this period is "Wilhelm Schmedeke," a merchant who established a successful trading business in the city of Hamburg, Germany, in the late 1700s.

As the 19th century dawned, the SCHMEDEKE name continued to be found across various parts of Germany and beyond. In 1823, a "Karl Schmedeke" was born in the town of Osterwieck, Saxony-Anhalt. He later became a respected teacher and author, publishing several books on education and pedagogy. Another notable individual was "Friedrich Schmedeke," a lawyer and politician from Berlin, who served as a member of the Prussian parliament in the 1860s.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the SCHMEDEKE name was "Hans Schmedeke," a German Olympic athlete who competed in the 1936 Berlin Games as a rower. He won a gold medal as part of the coxed fours team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schmedeke

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

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

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

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