2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schmiedlin
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a blacksmith or metalworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Schmiedlin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmiedlin 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Schmiedlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmiedlin
The surname SCHMIEDLIN originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in Switzerland and southern Germany. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.
The name SCHMIEDLIN is derived from the German word "Schmied," which means "blacksmith." The suffix "-lin" is a diminutive form, indicating a connection to or association with a blacksmith. Therefore, SCHMIEDLIN likely referred to someone who was a blacksmith or had a familial or occupational link to blacksmithing.
In medieval times, blacksmiths played a crucial role in society, crafting tools, weapons, and various metal objects essential for daily life and warfare. As a result, blacksmiths were respected members of their communities, and their surnames often reflected their trade.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SCHMIEDLIN can be found in historical documents and records from Switzerland and southern Germany. For example, in a 1387 census record from the town of Bern, Switzerland, a person named Hans Schmiedlin is mentioned as a resident.
Another notable individual with the surname SCHMIEDLIN was Johann Caspar Schmiedlin (1718-1792), a Swiss theologian and writer who authored several religious works and served as a pastor in Zürich.
In the 16th century, a branch of the SCHMIEDLIN family migrated to the Alsace region, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Here, the name was sometimes spelled as "Schmittlin" or "Schmitlin," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.
One prominent figure from this branch was Johann Schmiedlin (1527-1597), a Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation. He studied under influential theologians like Martin Bucer and worked closely with John Calvin.
Another notable SCHMIEDLIN was Johann Jakob Schmiedlin (1663-1733), a Swiss painter and engraver who specialized in portraits and religious compositions. His works can be found in various churches and collections throughout Switzerland.
Across the border in Germany, the SCHMIEDLIN surname also had a presence. In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Schmiedlin (1726-1792) was a German philosopher and author who wrote on topics such as ethics and natural law.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname SCHMIEDLIN throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and significance in the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmiedlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Schmiedlin 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 Schmiedlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmiedlin
Schmiedlin 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,418 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,418 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 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 Schmiedlin 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 | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmiedlin bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Schmiedlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmiedlin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Schmiedlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Schmiedlin?
Schmiedlin ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Schmiedlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Schmiedlin.
Has Schmiedlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmiedlin went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmiedlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmiedlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Schmiedlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmiedlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Schmiedlin (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 Schmiedlin mean?
A German surname derived from an occupational name for 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 Schmiedlin (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 Schmiedlin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.