NameCensus.

UK surname

Schmitz

A German occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a smith or metalworker.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Schmitz surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 195, ranked #19,921, up from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Andrews South West, Huntingdonshire and Rushmoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schmitz is 197 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 119.1%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

195

2016, ranked #19,921

Peak year

2014

197 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Schmitz had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016, ranked #19,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 115 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Schmitz surname distribution map

The map shows where the Schmitz surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Schmitz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Schmitz over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 11 #31,309
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 162 #20,839
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 192 #19,797
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 189 #20,273
2014 modern 197 #19,903
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 195 #19,921

Geography

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Where Schmitz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes, Edinburgh and Kirk Leatham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Andrews South West, Huntingdonshire, Rushmoor, Camden and Havering. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kirk Leatham Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Andrews South West Fife
2 Huntingdonshire 013 Huntingdonshire
3 Rushmoor 004 Rushmoor
4 Camden 011 Camden
5 Havering 015 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Schmitz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Schmitz surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Schmitz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Schmitz, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Schmitz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Schmitz household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Schmitz is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Schmitz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Schmitz falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Schmitz is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Schmitz, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Schmitz

The surname Schmitz originated in Germany, specifically in the Rhineland region. It first appeared around the 12th century and is derived from the Old German word "smit," meaning a blacksmith or metalworker. Over time, the spelling evolved to Schmitz, Schmidtz, Schmidts, and other variations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Schmitz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Nibelungenlied, a famous German epic poem from around 1200 AD.

In the 14th century, the name Schmitz appeared in the records of the town of Köln (Cologne), where a family of metalworkers bore this surname. This suggests that the name was closely associated with the metalworking trade in its early days.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Schmitz was Johannes Schmitz, a blacksmith from the town of Trier who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Peter Schmitz, a German monk and theologian who lived from 1512 to 1579 and was influential in the Counter-Reformation.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Schmitz surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, such as the Netherlands and Belgium. The name was also associated with several place names, such as Schmitzhausen and Schmitzberg, which were likely derived from the surname itself.

In the 18th century, Johann Schmitz (1711-1779) was a prominent German philosopher and educator who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy. Another notable figure was Johann Jakob Schmitz (1742-1826), a German historian and author who wrote about the history of the Rhineland region.

As the Schmitz family spread across Europe and beyond, the name became associated with various professions and achievements. For example, Eduard Schmitz (1837-1898) was a German-American philologist and educator who taught at various universities in the United States.

Overall, the surname Schmitz has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it was closely associated with the metalworking trade. Over the centuries, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including philosophers, historians, educators, and more.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Schmitz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schmitz surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 43 Schmitz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 4.95x
Yorkshire 17 1.98x
Wiltshire 7 9.12x
Lincolnshire 5 3.60x
Buckinghamshire 4 7.62x
Lancashire 3 0.29x
Surrey 3 0.71x
Cheshire 2 1.04x
Midlothian 2 1.72x
Gloucestershire 1 0.59x
Kent 1 0.34x
Oxfordshire 1 1.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chelsea London in Middlesex leads with 7 Schmitz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.77x.

Place Total Index
Chelsea London 7 26.77x
Kirkleatham 7 603.45x
St Marylebone London 7 15.11x
Swindon 7 117.65x
Hampstead London 6 44.38x
Great Grimsby 5 56.75x
Westminster St James 5 56.05x
Buckingham 4 373.83x
Islington London 4 4.75x
Leeds 4 8.24x
Ealing 3 38.66x
Ilkley 3 212.77x
Kensington London 3 6.22x
St Pancras London 3 4.29x
Cheadle 2 54.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 4.28x
Harrow 2 150.38x
Liverpool 2 3.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 11.45x
St George Hanover 2 17.65x
Clifton 1 11.61x
Greenwich 1 7.24x
Hammersmith London 1 4.68x
Holy Trinity 1 4.83x
Huddersfield 1 7.98x
Lancaster 1 16.31x
Oxford St Giles 1 39.06x
Shipley 1 22.42x
Woking 1 39.22x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Schmitz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 2
Carolina 2
Cornelia 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Frances 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Adala 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Christine 1
Claire 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Harriett 1
Jacoba 1
L. 1
Larvia 1
Lily 1
Lina 1
Lousia 1
Margaret 1
Marie 1
Minna 1
Rose 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Schmitz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Emil 2
Francis 2
Gustave 2
Henry 2
Herman 2
Johann 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Aug. 1
August 1
Carl 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Cormop 1
Cornelius 1
Creur 1
Felix 1
Frederick 1
Hans 1
Jacob 1
Jean 1
Jerome 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Laurenz 1
Leonhard 1
Lindhurst 1
Philip 1
Rich. 1
Vincent 1

FAQ

Schmitz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Schmitz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Schmitz surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Schmitz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016. That gives Schmitz a modern rank of #19,921.

What does the Schmitz surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a smith or metalworker.

What does the Schmitz map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Schmitz bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.