German surname
Smith
Occupational surname
Schmidt is the German equivalent of Smith, from Middle High German 'smit', meaning a worker in metal. It is one of the most common surnames in Germany and among German-Americans. Variants include Schmitt, Schmid, and Schmitz, which reflect regional dialects.
Like its English counterpart, the name arose independently in many places because every community required a smith. It remains a dominant occupational surname in German-speaking regions and their diasporas.
Build a family tree with everyone's actual names, photos and relationships.
Smith. The German cognate of "Smith", for a metalworker.
Schmidt is a German-origin surname. Popularity varies widely by country and region, and the same surname can be common in one place and rare in another.
Yes. Surnames, especially occupational and descriptive ones like this, were often adopted independently by many unrelated families who happened to share a trade, appearance, or location.
No account or personal details are required to look up a surname's meaning - this page is static reference content.