2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Schmohl
A surname derived from the German word "Schmied" meaning a metalworker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Schmohl. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Schmohl 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Schmohl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Schmohl
The surname Schmohl is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "smoel," meaning "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone of diminutive stature or a younger member of a family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schmohl can be found in the chronicles of the town of Augsburg, dating back to the late 15th century. The records mention a certain Hans Schmohl, a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the town's affairs.
In the 16th century, the Schmohl name appears in various municipal records and church registers across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This indicates that the name had gained wider recognition and spread across different areas during this period.
The town of Schmollen, located in the state of Saxony, may have some connection to the surname Schmohl, although the exact nature of this association is unclear. It is possible that the name originated as a place name before becoming a surname.
One notable figure bearing the Schmohl surname was Johann Schmohl, a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, who lived from 1620 to 1687. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Schmohl family migrated to Austria, where they established themselves in the city of Vienna. One member of this family, Karl Schmohl (1734-1809), became a respected architect and designed several notable buildings in the city.
Another individual of note was Anna Schmohl (1805-1878), a German artist known for her exquisite landscape paintings. Her works were widely exhibited and appreciated during her lifetime, and some of her pieces can still be found in prestigious art collections across Europe.
During the 19th century, the Schmohl name gained prominence in the field of academia. Heinrich Schmohl (1822-1896) was a renowned philosopher and professor at the University of Heidelberg, where he made significant contributions to the study of metaphysics and ethics.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals bearing the Schmohl surname was the German-American author and screenwriter, Max Schmohl (1911-1989). His novels and screenplays, often exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition, earned him critical acclaim and several prestigious awards.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Schmohl
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Schmohl 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 Schmohl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Two or more races6.8% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Schmohl
Schmohl 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,218 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 21,218 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,793 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 Schmohl 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 | #160,975 | #154,182 | 4.2% |
| Count | 100 | 103 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Schmohl bearers went from 100 to 103 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,182.
FAQ
Schmohl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Schmohl?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Schmohl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Schmohl?
Schmohl ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Schmohl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Schmohl.
Has Schmohl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Schmohl went from 100 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Schmohl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Schmohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Schmohl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Schmohl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Schmohl (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 Schmohl mean?
A surname derived from the German word "Schmied" meaning a metalworker or blacksmith. 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 Schmohl (0.03 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 Schmohl?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.