2000
#22,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Schmick
Of Germanic origin referring to someone petite or slender.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,127 Americans carry the last name Schmick. That puts it at #26,183 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 304,130 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 304,130
Census rank
#26,183
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
983
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 983 bearers of the surname Schmick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26183rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmick
The surname Schmick is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Middle High German word "smicken," which means "to adorn" or "to decorate." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a decorator or embellisher.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schmick can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Saxon region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this text, a person named "Johannes Schmick" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1276.
The name Schmick also appears in various other medieval records and manuscripts from different parts of Germany. For example, in the Stadtbücher of Nuremberg, a city in Bavaria, there is a reference to a "Konrad Schmick" who was a member of the local guild of blacksmiths in the late 14th century.
One notable individual with the surname Schmick was Hans Schmick (1497-1572), a German painter and woodcarver who was active in the Renaissance period. His intricate and highly decorated works can still be found in several churches and museums throughout southern Germany.
Another figure of historical significance was Johann Schmick (1615-1683), a Lutheran theologian and philosopher from Saxony. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and authored several influential works on theology and metaphysics.
In the 18th century, a man named Friedrich Schmick (1738-1812) was a prominent architect and urban planner in the city of Berlin. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in the city during the reign of Frederick the Great.
Moving into the 19th century, Karl Schmick (1825-1898) was a German botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Amazon region of South America. He collected and documented numerous new species of plants during his expeditions.
Throughout its history, the surname Schmick has been associated with various trades and professions, from artisans and craftsmen to scholars and scientists. While the name may have originated from a word related to decoration or embellishment, it has taken on a broader meaning over time, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmick
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Schmick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 922
- Two or more races3.1% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 11
- Black or African American0.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmick
Schmick appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#28,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 825
-216 bearers (-20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 5,880 places
2020
#26,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 983
+158 bearers (+19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 2,646 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,949 | 1,041 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,829 | 825 | 0.28 | -216 bearers (-20.7%) | Down 5,880 places |
| 2020 | #26,183 | 983 | 0.33 | +158 bearers (+19.2%) | Up 2,646 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Schmick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,829 | #26,183 | 9.2% |
| Count | 825 | 983 | 19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.33 | 17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmick bearers went from 825 to 983 (+19.2% change). The surname moved up 2,646 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,829 to #26,183.
FAQ
Schmick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmick?
Name Census estimates that about 1,127 living Americans carry the surname Schmick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 304,130 residents.
How common is Schmick?
Schmick ranks #26,183 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 983 people with the surname Schmick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Schmick.
Has Schmick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmick went from 825 recorded bearers to 983. That is an increase of 158 (+19.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,829 to #26,183.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Schmick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (1.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Schmick (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Schmick mean?
Of Germanic origin referring to someone petite or slender. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Schmick (0.33 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Schmick?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.