Surname Szmyd - Meaning and Origin

Szmyd: What does the surname Szmyd mean?

The last name Szmyd is a Polish and Ukrainian patronymic surnames derived from the given name Szmyd, which is a Slavic version of the name Simon. It first became popular in Ukraine during the 14th century and then spread to other parts of Eastern Europe, including Poland.

Today, Szmyd is mostly used among Polish, Ukrainian, and Belorussian populations. It is mainly found in cities and towns in eastern Poland like Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw, as well as other regions of Poland such as Silesia and Masovia.

The meaning of this surname could be derived from the word “szmyd”, which means a village hewer or woodcutter. It was used to refer to those who made a living from cutting wood for fuel and building materials. Alternatively, the name might come from an old Slavic word meaning “hospitality” which describes someone who is friendly and generous towards others.

As is common with many Polish surnames, structures or objects related to the name have featured in the symbolism and coat of arms of aristocratic families or clans. In the case of the Szmyd family, the coat of arms includes two crossed woodcutters’ axes.

Overall, it appears that the name Szmyd could derive from either a profession or an adjective related to hospitality, highlighting the generous and friendly personalities of its original bearers.

Szmyd: Where does the name Szmyd come from?

The surname Szmyd is perhaps most common today in Poland, which is believed to be its country of origin. It is a Polish patronymic surname, meaning "son of Szmyd". The Szmyd surname is among the top 100 most common surnames in Poland.

Additionally, variations and spellings of the surname are widely distributed throughout numerous other countries. In the United States, the 2000 Census found 394 records of Szmyd, while in Canada, there were 53 records.

Szmyd also has a presence in Romania, with 24 instances of the surname listed on a Romanian census taken in 2002. It is also present in Russia, the United Kingdom, and many other countries throughout Europe and Asia.

Notable people who have carried the Szmyd surname include former Prime Minister of Poland Wincenty Rzymowski-Szmyd, musician Miroslaw Szmyd, and rock artist Jarek Szmyd.

Ultimately, the surname Szmyd is believed to be of polish origin, and today is found mostly in Poland, with a notable distribution of the surname present across many other countries as well.

Variations of the surname Szmyd

The surname Szmyd has many variants and spellings, all of which have the same origin. Szmyd is the Polish version of the surname Smid, which is derived from the old German word smit meaning ‘smith’. Smithers and Smithson are English forms of the same surname, and Schmied or Schmitz are the German variants. In some parts of Europe, the name has been further adapted to include the Polish letter ‘z’, thus creating Zaksmid or Zaksmyd, and Samaid or Szmyda in Russia and the Ukraine. The similar surname Szyminski is derived from a more specific designation of a blacksmith.

The surname Szmyd is most common in Poland but can also be found in Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. The surnames Schiffer, Shafer, and Shoemaker are derived from the same origin as Szmyd, and the related surnames Shout, Smoot, Schwartz, Smuts, and Schwebach all refer to other occupations of the smiths.

In some parts of Slavic-speaking Eastern Europe, the prefixes ‘Sk’ or ‘Sl’ may be added to the name, thus creating Schnyder or Szlyd. Different forms of the surname may also be found in Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Bosnia, as well as in Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Other spellings of Szmyd include Szamid, Schameid, Szemid, Schimmid, and Szymczyk.

The surname Szmyd has spread around the world in many different forms, giving the modern family a variety of surnames to choose from.

Famous people with the name Szmyd

• Jakub Szmyd: a Polish long-distance runner who won gold at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships and bronze at the European Half Marathon Championships in 2011.
• Aleksandra Szmyd: a Polish runner who won gold in the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics.
• Victor Szmyd: a Polish professional boxer who held the WBC Baltic light-welterweight title from 2002 to 2003.
• Pawel Szmyd: a Polish alpine skier who participated in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics and took the 6th place in the slalom event in 2006.
• Valentin Szmyd: a Polish cyclist who won the Challenge du Prince race in 2008.
• Tadeusz Szmyd: a physicist who invented a method of controlling plasma and submitted landmark papers in plasma physics.
• Janika Szmyd: an Olympic-level figure skater who achieved success in rink hockey as well.
• Artur Szmyd: a former Polish politician from the Democratic Left Alliance who was a Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration from 2001 to 2005.
• Sławomir Szmyd: a footballer from the Polish Ekstraklasa who most recently played for Jagiellonia Białystok.
• Paweł Szmyd: a Polish rally driver who won the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

Other surnames

Szmyt