Surname Niggeschmidt - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'N'
Niggeschmidt: What does the surname Niggeschmidt mean?
The last name Niggeschmidt is a Germanic name which essentially means “schmied’s son”. The name is comprised of two elements: nigg meaning “relative” or “kin”, and schmidt meaning “smith” or “blacksmith”. Therefore, the name implies someone who is related to or descended from a person who practiced the craft of smithing.
The practice of blacksmithing as a profession has been an integral part of German and other European cultures for centuries and is believed to have existed since the early Middle Ages. The blacksmith crafted functional and decorative items as well as implements and weapons of warfare and would have been a respected profession at the time of the name’s origin.
Niggeschmidt is derived from two root words which combined denote membership of the family of a blacksmith. In other words, the person bearing the name has a long lineage of metalworkers in their family, and this is likely what the name represented at its origin in the late medieval period. Historically, the name may have provided a hint to the profession of the family, dating back multiple generations and quite possibly to the same person.
Order DNA origin analysisNiggeschmidt: Where does the name Niggeschmidt come from?
The last name Niggeschmidt is most commonly found in Germany, with some presence in the United States. In Germany, a 2017 survey of names found that Niggeschmidt was the 9,169th most common surname.
In the United States, the last name Niggeschmidt is not very common. The U.S. Census Bureau only recorded 14 individuals with the last name during the most recent census in 2010. Most of these individuals, about 12, lived in Wisconsin and likely have German ancestry.
Tracing the roots of the name back to Germany, some sources suggest it is a combination of two German words, "nigger" meaning "little" or "small" and "schmidt" meaning "blacksmith". This indicates the surname may have originated from a blacksmith of small stature.
The surname also has Dutch roots. Here, the spelling is slightly different with the letter "e". This spelling, Niggenschmidt was recorded in the Netherlands in 1715 and likely originated as a patronymic, meaning it was derived from the first name of a father.
Though the surname is not particularly common today, many people in the United States and Germany share the name Niggeschmidt as a result of their ancestors, making it an important part of family history.
Variations of the surname Niggeschmidt
The variants, spellings, and surnames of Niggeschmidt all have the same origin, although the name has evolved over time.
The earliest recorded form of the Niggeschmidt surname is “Neugeschmidt”, which originated in Germany and was a common surname there in the Middle Ages. The German spelling of “Neugeschmidt” has evolved over time to “Nuggscheimid”, “Nygscheimidt”, and eventually “Niggeschmidt”.
Variations of the spelling of the surname Niggeschmidt can be found in various countries as the name spread out to other lands. These variants include “Niksheym”, which is found in Russia and Lithuania; “Nigesheym” in Poland and Ukraine; “Nugeheim” in Hungary; and “Niggemeyer” in France and the Netherlands.
The surnames of “Nyugeshmidt”, “Nigeschmidt”, “Nugeshimdt”, and “Nuckischmidt” also stem from the original German variation of the name. These have arisen in the US, as well as other countries around the world.
The surname Niggeschmidt can also be found in the form of “Neugebauer”, “Niehaus”, “Nigisholz”, and “ Nitsche”.
The roots of the Niggeschmidt surname can be traced back to medieval Germany, and it is likely that the name’s various variations and spellings have been deliberately chosen to reflect the times and places of different generations. Due to its long history, the surname now exists in multiple forms in countries around the world.
Famous people with the name Niggeschmidt
- Robert Niggelschmidt, German artist and illustrator
- Gary Niggelschmidt, Swiss former footballer
- Ludwig Niggelschmidt, German theatre director
- Piotr Niggelschmidt, Polish-German music producer
- Richard Niggelschmidt, German politician
- John Niggelschmidt, American photographer
- Friedrich Niggelschmidt, German writer
- Grethe Niggelschmidt, Danish journalist and editor
- Hans Niggelschmidt, Austrian football coach
- Jan Niggelschmidt, Dutch diplomat and public relations expert