Explore the Family Name Schmitt
The meaning of Schmitt
1. South German: variant of Schmidt ‘blacksmith’. This form of the surname is also common in France (mainly Alsace and Lorraine). 2. Germanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Šmit, Czech Šmít, surnames of German origin (compare above, see Smit 3). Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Erwin, Hans, Dieter, Gerhard, Alfons, Bernhard, Franz, Heinz, Helmut, Otto, Bernd.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Schmitt in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Schmitt experienced a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 898th in popularity among surnames in the United States. By 2010, however, the rank had slipped to 967th—a decrease of 7.68%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Schmitt surname increased from 35,326 to 36,043, marking a growth of 2.03%. Proportionally, per 100,000 people, the presence of the Schmitt surname decreased by 6.72%, moving from 13.1 to 12.22.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #898 | #967 | -7.68% |
| Count | 35,326 | 36,043 | 2.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.1 | 12.22 | -6.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Schmitt
With regards to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes among those with the Schmitt surname. The percentage identifying as White decreased slightly from 96.82% in 2000 to 95.68% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic segment showed the most significant increase, growing by 45.26% over the decade. There were also increases in the proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (38.10% increase) and those reporting two or more races (34.09% increase). Small increases were also noted among those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with the former growing by 10.53% and the latter by 12.50%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.82% | 95.68% | -1.18% |
| Hispanic | 1.37% | 1.99% | 45.26% |
| Two or More Races | 0.88% | 1.18% | 34.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.58% | 38.1% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.36% | 12.5% |
| Black | 0.19% | 0.21% | 10.53% |
Schmitt ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Schmitt is French & German, which comprises 42.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.2%) and Eastern European (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 42.7% |
| British & Irish | 32.2% |
| Eastern European | 7.0% |
| Other | 18.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Schmitt
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Schmitt have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.60% |
What Schmitt haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Schmitt is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schmidt, Weber, Walter, Becker, Meyer, Hoffman, Miller, Wagner, Fischer, Bauer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Schmitt surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Schmitt have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Schmitt" Surname 41.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Schmitt" Surname 25.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Schmitt" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Schmitt" Surname 16.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Schmitt?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Schmitt are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition