2000
#6,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,053
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Rare Last name
Schmit
A German occupational surname derived from the word "schmied," meaning a metalworker, blacksmith, or farrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,036 Americans carry the last name Schmit. That puts it at #6,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,785 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmit 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
6.0K
1 in 56,785
Census rank
#6,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,264 bearers of the surname Schmit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmit
The surname SCHMIT is of German origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the German word "Schmied," which means "blacksmith." The name was initially given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked as blacksmiths or metal workers.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. The spelling variations included Schmit, Schmitt, Schmid, and Schmitz, among others.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is mentioned in connection with a blacksmith named Johannes Schmit from the town of Meissen.
In the 14th century, the name SCHMIT appeared in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis," a compilation of official records from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This document mentions a certain Henricus Schmit, a blacksmith from the city of Berlin.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname SCHMIT. One of the earliest was Hans Schmit (1435-1501), a renowned German goldsmith and metalworker from Nuremberg, who was renowned for his intricate and exquisite works of art.
Another prominent figure was Johann Schmit (1592-1658), a German philosopher and theologian from Strasbourg, who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy. His works, such as "Ethica Christiana," had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 19th century, Carl Schmit (1804-1875) was a German-American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines. He held several patents and his innovations helped pave the way for the Industrial Revolution.
Marie Schmit (1856-1933) was a French painter and sculptor, known for her impressionistic landscapes and portraiture. Her works were exhibited in prestigious galleries across Europe and are now housed in various museums.
Finally, Otto Schmit (1912-1998) was a German-American aerospace engineer who played a crucial role in the development of modern aircraft and spacecraft structures. His pioneering work on structural analysis and lightweight design principles influenced the aerospace industry for decades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmit
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmit 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 Schmit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 4,919
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 144
- Two or more races2.6% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
- Black or African American0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmit
Schmit 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
#6,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,274
+221 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 204 places
2020
#6,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,264
-10 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,234 | 5,053 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,438 | 5,274 | 1.79 | +221 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 204 places |
| 2020 | #6,231 | 5,264 | 1.76 | -10 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 207 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 Schmit 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 | #6,438 | #6,231 | 3.2% |
| Count | 5,274 | 5,264 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.76 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmit bearers went from 5,274 to 5,264 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,438 to #6,231.
FAQ
Schmit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmit?
Name Census estimates that about 6,036 living Americans carry the surname Schmit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,785 residents.
How common is Schmit?
Schmit ranks #6,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,264 people with the surname Schmit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,036), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Schmit.
Has Schmit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmit went from 5,274 recorded bearers to 5,264. That is a decrease of 10 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,438 to #6,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmit, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schmit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (4,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Schmit (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 Schmit mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the word "schmied," meaning a metalworker, blacksmith, or farrier. 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 Schmit (1.76 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 Schmit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.