2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schmiedeke
A German surname derived from the occupation of a blacksmith or metalworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Schmiedeke. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmiedeke 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Schmiedeke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedeke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmiedeke
The surname Schmiedeke is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in the regions of northern Germany and the Low Countries. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "schmied," meaning "blacksmith," and the suffix "-eke," a diminutive form indicating a small or little person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Schmiedeke can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dated around the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in the area around Bremen or neighboring regions.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from occupations, and the name Schmiedeke likely referred to an individual who worked as a blacksmith or had ancestors who practiced this trade. Blacksmiths played a crucial role in medieval societies, crafting tools, weapons, and other metalwork essential for daily life and warfare.
In the 16th century, the surname Schmiedeke is recorded in the town of Lübeck, a prominent member of the Hanseatic League. A notable individual bearing this name was Hans Schmiedeke, a merchant and council member who lived in Lübeck during the latter half of the 1500s.
Another historical figure with the surname Schmiedeke was Johann Schmiedeke, a Lutheran theologian and pastor who served in the town of Stade, near Hamburg, in the early 17th century. He was known for his sermons and writings on theological matters during the Protestant Reformation.
In the 18th century, the name Schmiedeke appeared in various records from the Kingdom of Prussia. One notable bearer was Friedrich Wilhelm Schmiedeke, a Prussian military officer who served in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) under the command of Frederick the Great.
In the 19th century, the surname Schmiedeke can be found in various regions of Germany, including the areas around Hanover and Saxony. One individual of note was Karl Schmiedeke, a German artist and painter who was born in Dresden in 1838 and gained recognition for his landscape paintings.
Over time, the surname Schmiedeke likely underwent various spelling variations, such as Schmiedeke, Schmiedeke, or Schmidtke, as regional dialects and scribal practices influenced its written form. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the blacksmith trade and the diminutive reference to a small or little person.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmiedeke
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedeke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmiedeke 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 Schmiedeke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 98
- Two or more races10.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmiedeke
Schmiedeke appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,453 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 Schmiedeke 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 | #138,304 | #145,757 | -5.4% |
| Count | 121 | 115 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmiedeke bearers went from 121 to 115 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,453 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,757.
FAQ
Schmiedeke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmiedeke?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Schmiedeke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Schmiedeke?
Schmiedeke ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Schmiedeke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Schmiedeke.
Has Schmiedeke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmiedeke went from 121 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmiedeke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedeke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Schmiedeke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmiedeke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Two or More Races (10.4%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Schmiedeke (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 Schmiedeke mean?
A German surname derived from the occupation of a blacksmith or metalworker. 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 Schmiedeke (0.04 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 have the surname Schmiedeke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.