2000
#898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.10
Uncommon Last name
Schmitt
An occupational surname for a metalworker, blacksmith, or craftsman, derived from the German word "Schmied."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 39,845 Americans carry the last name Schmitt. That puts it at #988 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,602 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmitt 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Schmitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
40K
1 in 8,602
Census rank
#988
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
35K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 34,747 bearers of the surname Schmitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 988th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmitt
The surname Schmitt has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schmied," which means "blacksmith." The name likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Smit" or "Smyt" in various Germanic regions during the 13th and 14th centuries. Over time, the spelling evolved to include variations such as "Schmid," "Schmitt," and "Schmidt," with the latter becoming the most common form in Germany.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. This work mentions an individual named "Cunradus Smit" in a document dated 1181.
The surname Schmitt has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Johannes Schmitt (1535-1597) was a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation movement. Another prominent figure was Carl Christian Schmitt (1768-1854), a German composer and music theorist known for his contributions to the development of harmony and counterpoint.
In the realm of art, Max Schmitt (1874-1940) was a German painter and printmaker celebrated for his landscapes and etchings. His contemporary, Otto Schmitt (1875-1956), was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the surname Schmitt was Carl Schmitt (1888-1985), a German jurist, political theorist, and prominent figure in the field of constitutional law. His influential works, such as "Political Theology" and "The Concept of the Political," explored the relationship between law, politics, and sovereignty.
While the surname Schmitt originated as an occupational name in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural diffusion. However, its roots can be traced back to the skilled metalworkers and blacksmiths of medieval Germany, whose legacy lives on in this enduring family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmitt 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 Schmitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 32,289
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,089
- Two or more races2.6% · 893
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 261
- Black or African American0.3% · 121
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmitt
Schmitt 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
#967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,043
+717 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 12.22
Rank movement Down 69 places
2020
#988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,747
-1,296 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 11.63
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #898 | 35,326 | 13.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #967 | 36,043 | 12.22 | +717 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 69 places |
| 2020 | #988 | 34,747 | 11.63 | -1,296 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 21 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 Schmitt 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 | #967 | #988 | -2.2% |
| Count | 36,043 | 34,747 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 12.22 | 11.63 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmitt bearers went from 36,043 to 34,747 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #967 to #988.
FAQ
Schmitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmitt?
Name Census estimates that about 39,845 living Americans carry the surname Schmitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,602 residents.
How common is Schmitt?
Schmitt ranks #988 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 34,747 people with the surname Schmitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (39,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Schmitt.
Has Schmitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmitt went from 36,043 recorded bearers to 34,747. That is a decrease of 1,296 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #967 to #988.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) 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 Schmitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (32,289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), 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 Schmitt (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 Schmitt mean?
An occupational surname for a metalworker, blacksmith, or craftsman, derived from the German word "Schmied." 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 Schmitt (11.63 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 Schmitt?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.