Schmidt surname: meaning, census count and records | FamilyCrests

The Schmidt surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 145,565 people carried this name — #171 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,850 people counted.

See Schmidt on the map Look up another surname

Free to read. No account, no sign-up.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

5,730 people named Schmidt live in Switzerland.

They live in all 26 of Switzerland’s cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 1,277
Bern 524
Valais 499
Aargau 499
St. Gallen 358
Vaud 317
Basel-Landschaft 260
Thurgau 257

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 4,838 people named Schmidt.

843 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 94 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 843
Bas-Rhin 1,136
Moselle 759
Haut-Rhin 497
Paris 317
Nord 174
Meurthe-et-Moselle 100
Marne 62
Doubs 52

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Poland’s population register

4,568 people named Schmidt have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 6,221 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Greater Poland 894
Pomeranian 803
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 503
Lower Silesian 495
Silesian 464
West Pomeranian 233
Opole 227
Lesser Poland 209

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 639 people named Schmidt live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Liège 222
Brussels-Capital 125
West Flanders 63
Hainaut 58
Antwerp 49
Walloon Brabant 41
Flemish Brabant 32
Namur 19

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Schmidt in American newspapers,
1875–1962.

Newspaper page from New Orleans Republican carrying the name Schmidt
New Orleans Republican 1875-06-19
Newspaper page from St. Landry Democrat carrying the name Schmidt
St. Landry Democrat 1885-03-28
Newspaper page from The River Press carrying the name Schmidt
The River Press 1913-07-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 689,436 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Schmidt,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ferdinand Schmidt
    Ferdinand Schmidt 1816–1890 · writer
  • Eduard Oscar Schmidt
    Eduard Oscar Schmidt 1823–1886 · politician
  • Leopold Schmidt
    Leopold Schmidt 1824–1892 · university teacher
  • Ernst Schmidt
    Ernst Schmidt 1830–1900 · physician
  • Johannes Schmidt
    Johannes Schmidt 1843–1901 · university teacher

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 149 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Schmidt.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Schmidt is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See what a volume holds
Scroll to Top