Surname Schmitter - Meaning and Origin
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Schmitter: What does the surname Schmitter mean?
The surname Schmitter is an occupational surname deriving from the Old German word, “schmid,” meaning “smith” or “one who works with metal.” For centuries, this surname was associated with craftsmen who worked in metal such as blacksmiths, armourers, and swordsmiths.
Today, the surname Schmitter is primarily found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In German-speaking countries, the surname is very common, and hardly any other surnames are recorded with more frequency.
Schmitter is also a fairly common name in the United States. Immigration records show that the first known family bearing this surname arrived in the United States in the late 19th century, and successive waves of German-speaking immigrants following World War II pushed the number of Schmitts in the United States to over forty thousand households.
The Schmitter surname also appears in the records of other countries, such as Canada and Singapore, where it has been established by immigrants who left Germany or Austria in search of new lives overseas.
The Schmitter surname may have evolved alongside other occupational surnames such as Smith and Schmidt, but with its own distinct meaning. In any case, it’s a symbol of a heritage rooted in industry, strength, and hard work, which has been maintained over centuries in different parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisSchmitter: Where does the name Schmitter come from?
The last name Schmitter is most commonly found in the German-speaking countries of Europe such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and in the countries where Germanic peoples have come to live.Schmitter is thought to be an occupational surname, of German origin, that literally means ‘shoemaker’.
Schmitter is a very popular surname in Germany, where it is currently ranked as the 239th most common surname according to the Register of German Surnames, with approximately 32,585 people registered under this name. Austria also has a large Schmitter family, ranking the surname as the 228th most common name with 5,900 registered holders. Furthermore, the name is also present in Switzerland, where it is the 251st most popular surname with around 10,200 bearers.
Outside of Europe, there are still many Schmitters found in Canada, the United States, and several other countries. In fact, the US Census Bureau estimated that in 2020, there were almost 30,000 Americans with this surname. Additionally, a search of the Canadian Census listed a total of 246 people with the last name Schmitter, with the largest concentration in Ontario and British Columbia.
Therefore, it is clear that the last name Schmitter is prevalent in most German-speaking countries in Europe, but also in countries all around the world where Germanic peoples have come to live.
Variations of the surname Schmitter
Schmitter is a common Germanic surname with an extensive range of spelling variants. The two most common variants are Schmitt and Schmitz. Others include Schmidt, Schmid, Schmied, Schmeid, Schmeidt, Smid, Smidtz, and Smith.
In Switzerland, the variants Smut, Smüt, Smitt, Schmitti and Schmidi can be found, as well as the variants Schmiedel, Schmieder and Schmitte. The variant Schmiter also exists.
The surname Schmitter also has a few foreign variants. These include Smidt in the Netherlands, Smíd in the Czech Republic, Smid (or Smidt) in Denmark and Norway, and Schmit in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
In the United States, the variants Smith and Shmitt often appear as the Americanized version of the surname Schmitter.
Overall, the surname Schmitter has a wide variety of spelling variations and foreign variants, reflecting its Germanic origin.
Famous people with the name Schmitter
- Max Schmitter: former German politician and lawyer
- Manfred Schmitter: German sport director and former soccer player
- Arturo Schmitter: Uruguayan taxonomist, botanist, and agriculturist
- Hanjo Schmitter: German actor and director
- Patrick Schmitter: Swiss poet and author
- Matthias Schmitter: German writer and journalist
- Karl Schmitter: Austrian academic and politician
- Marianne Schmitter: Austrian-American classical pianist and pedagogue
- Marlon Schmitter: German handball player
- Niklas Schmitter: German soccer player
- Peter Schmitter: Swiss lawyer and politician
- Stefan Schmitter: Swiss photographer and media artist
- Michael Schmitter: American astrophysicist
- Ursula Schmitter: German professor of public administration
- Uwe Schmitter: German psychotherapist