<P> Schmidt is a common German occupational surname derived from the German word "Schmied" meaning "blacksmith" and / or "metalworker". This surname is the German equivalent of "Smith" in the English - speaking world . </P> <Ul> <Li> Alexander Schmidt (physiologist) (1831--1894), Baltic German physiologist </Li> <Li> Alfred Schmidt (weightlifter) (1898--1972), Estonian weightlifter and Olympic medalist </Li> <Li> Andreas Schmidt (baritone), born 1960, German classical singer </Li> <Li> Andreas Schmidt (footballer), born 1973, German footballer, twin brother of Oliver Schmidt </Li> <Li> Annie M.G. Schmidt (1911--1995), Dutch writer </Li> <Li> Arno Schmidt (1914--1979), German author and translator </Li> <Li> Arthur Schmidt (disambiguation) </Li> <Li> Bernhard Schmidt (1879--1935), Estonian - German astronomer, inventor of the Schmidt camera </Li> <Li> Boss Schmidt (1880--1932), American major league catcher </Li> <Li> Brian Schmidt (born 1967), U.S. - Australian astrophysicist and Nobel laureate </Li> <Li> Burghart Schmidt (historian) (born 1962), German historian </Li> <Li> Burghart Schmidt born 1942, German philosopher </Li> <Li> Carl Schmidt (chemist) (1822--1894), Baltic German chemist </Li> <Li> Carl Friedrich Schmidt (disambiguation) </Li> <Li> Carmela Schmidt (born 1962), East German freestyle swimmer </Li> <Li> Casper Schmidt (1842--1889), American politician </Li> <Li> Charles C. Schmidt (1907--1966), American politician </Li> <Li> Diane Grob Schmidt, American chemist </Li> <Li> Earl W. Schmidt, American jurist and politician </Li> <Li> Erhard Schmidt (1876--1959), German mathematician </Li> <Li> Eric Schmidt (born 1955), executive chairman, former CEO, of Google </Li> <Li> Erich Schmidt (archaeologist) (1897--1964), German archaeologist </Li> <Li> Erich Schmidt (historian) (1853--1913) German historian of literature </Li> <Li> Ferenc Schmidt (1941--2011), Hungarian politician and MP </Li> <Li> Firmin Martin Schmidt (1918--2005), American Roman Catholic bishop </Li> <Li> Francis Schmidt (1885--1944), American college baseball coach </Li> <Li> Franklin J.W. Schmidt (1901--1935), American naturalist, brother of Karl Patterson </Li> <Li> Franz Schmidt (1874--1939), Austrian composer </Li> <Li> Frithjof Schmidt (born 1953), German politician </Li> <Li> Fritz Schmidt (disambiguation) </Li> <Li> Gavin Schmidt, Climatologist </Li> <Li> Gerhard Schmidt (1919--1971), organic chemist </Li> </Ul>

Where does the last name schmidt come from