Origine et histoire

An occupational surname of German origin from the Middle High German 'smid', meaning 'blacksmith' or 'metalworker', cognate with the English Smith and the Danish Smed. Schmidt entered Denmark primarily through the duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, which had a substantial German-speaking population and was under Danish-German dual sovereignty until 1864. It is the most common German-origin surname in Denmark, marking the historical demographic influence of the Holstein Germans. Approximately 28,000 Danes carry this name.