Find out how popular the last name Schmolke is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Schmolke.

Schmolke, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Schmolke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schmolke in America

Schmolke is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schmolke surname appeared 202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Schmolke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schmolke to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Schmolke

The surname Schmolke is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to derive from the German word "schmolken," which means "to scowl" or "to frown." This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a particularly stern or somber expression.

The first known instances of the Schmolke surname can be found in various German records and documents from the 1500s. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Hans Schmolke, a farmer who lived in the village of Fritzlar in the state of Hesse during the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Schmolke name appeared in several church records and tax rolls from various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. One notable figure from this era was Johann Schmolke, a Lutheran theologian and hymn writer who was born in Nuremberg in 1661 and passed away in 1737.

As the Schmolke family spread across Germany over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Schmölke and Schmoelke. Some records also indicate that the name may have been derived from a place name, possibly a small village or hamlet, although the exact location is unclear.

In the 19th century, a few individuals with the Schmolke surname gained recognition in various fields. For example, Friedrich Schmolke (1808-1888) was a German architect and urban planner who worked on several notable projects in Berlin. Another notable figure was Karl Schmolke (1837-1911), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Halle.

Other individuals with the Schmolke surname who made significant contributions include:

1. Wilhelm Schmolke (1860-1932), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape and genre scenes.
2. Gerhard Schmolke (1905-1992), a German linguist and philologist who specialized in the study of Sanskrit and ancient Indian languages.
3. Erich Schmolke (1914-2003), a German Resistance fighter during World War II who participated in the anti-Nazi movement.
4. Margot Schmolke (1914-1995), a German actress and theater director who worked in both film and stage productions.
5. Günter Schmolke (1931-2022), a German sculptor and artist known for his abstract and figurative works in various materials.

While the Schmolke surname may have originated from a descriptive nickname or a place name in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the majority of historical references and notable individuals with this surname can be traced back to its German roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schmolke

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Schmolke.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Schmolke was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Schmolke has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Schmolke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Schmolke, please contact us.

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