Schmidt Family Crest and Surname Origin
A short guide to the Schmidt surname: its meaning, its roots in Germany, and its heraldry.
Origin of the Schmidt name
Schmidt means "smith", a worker in metal, from the Middle High German smit. Smiths were essential in every community, so the name formed independently across the German-speaking world. It is the second most common surname in Germany, and many emigrants became Smith in America.
The blacksmith's name
Schmidt comes from Schmied, a smith or metalworker, the German counterpart of English Smith. Every village needed one, so the name arose countless times, and Schmitt, Schmid and Schmit are regional spellings rather than separate families.
Forebears estimates roughly 713,000 Schmidts in Germany, the country's second most common surname after Müller. Large emigrant populations followed: about 198,000 in the United States in Forebears' figures, with the 2010 Census counting 147,034 and ranking it 185th, plus sizeable groups in Brazil, Canada, Austria and Denmark. Former chancellor Helmut Schmidt and the astronomer Bernhard Schmidt, who created the Schmidt camera, are two notable bearers.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Schmidt name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Schmidt name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Austria, Switzerland and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Schmidt family history
Where were the first Schmidt families recorded, and how did the spelling change over the centuries? The full report follows the name through the earliest records to find out.
The researched Schmidt pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Schmidt coat of arms.
Schmidt name FAQ
What does the Schmidt name mean?
Smith. Common variants include Schmitt, Schmid, Schmitz.
Where does the Schmidt surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in Austria, Switzerland and the United States.
Is there a Schmidt coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Schmidt crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Schmidt coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Is Schmidt the same as Smith?
In meaning, yes: both name a metalworker. They are separate surnames from different languages.
What is the difference between Schmidt, Schmitt and Schmid?
They are regional spellings. Schmid is common in the south and Switzerland, Schmitt in the Rhineland.
Explore the Schmidt name further
Two companion pages go further: Schmidt family history and genealogy, with the records to search, and famous people named Schmidt.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Schmidt (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.