Surname Schmidinger - Meaning and Origin
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Schmidinger: What does the surname Schmidinger mean?
The last name Schmidinger is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German word "schmiden," meaning "blacksmith." The occupation of the blacksmith was important in various German-speaking regions throughout medieval Europe, and being a skilled blacksmith was seen as an honorable profession within a community. As such, people with the last name Schmidinger are associated with this ancestral origin.
The name is believed to derive from the combination of two words: “Schmied,” meaning blacksmith and “inger,” for inhabitants of places such as mountains, woods, and other regions. The origin of this element is Swedish and Scandinavian, and it is commonly associated with a place for settlement or residence.
Thus, the literal meaning of the name Schmidinger is “dwellers of a place connected to, or occupied by, a blacksmith.” As blacksmiths have been around for many centuries, the name may be indicative of a family lineage of skilled blacksmiths. This traditional meaning of the name might demonstrate the appreciation and admiration that families have had for those who possess the skill and craft of such an important craft.
In modern times, however, the name has lost much of its historical significance and today is simply associated with the German language and its people. People with the last name Schmidinger usually trace their roots to Germany, and in some cases, they may have family still living there.
Order DNA origin analysisSchmidinger: Where does the name Schmidinger come from?
The last name Schmidinger is present mainly in countries of Germanic or Austrian heritage and origin, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As a result, it is most common in Central and Northern Europe, and much less common in countries elsewhere around the world.
According to surname databases, Schmidinger is the 7th most common last name in Austria, with approximately 5,000 individuals having the surname, and it is also the 902nd most common surname in Germany, with roughly 2,000 individuals having the name.
Outside of these two countries, the presence of the name Schmidinger is significantly lower. In the United States and Canada in particular, the surname is relatively rare. Ancestry.com's surname database reveals that in the U.S., Schmidinger is the 22,386th most common last name, with roughly 400 individuals sharing it. Similarly, in Canada, statistics are difficult to come by, but the surname does not appear in the 400 most commonly found surnames, further pointing to its scarcity throughout the region.
Overall, Schmidinger remains primarily a European-based name, most commonly found in Austria and Germany, and much less prominent in other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Schmidinger
The Schmidinger surname has numerous variants, spellings and related surnames of the same origin. These include Schmiedinger, Schmiedinger, Schmiedinger, Schmiedinger, Schmiedinger, Schmidinger, Schmedinger, Smidt, Schmid, Schmied, Schmiedel, Schmiedele, Schmiedeler and Smidl.
Most of these variations share the same root word, which is the German word 'schmied', meaning 'smith'. This indicates that the history of the Schmidinger surname likely lies in blacksmithing, which was a common profession in Medieval Germany. Through intermarriage and migration, the Schmidinger surname spread across Europe.
The Schmidinger surname can be found in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and the United States. In German records, the earliest known person referring to this name was Johannes Schmidinger, who was recorded in the Bohemian city of Würzburg, Germany, in 1497.
There is one notable family of the Schmidinger surname. This is the Schmidinger-Saller family, which can be traced back to the family's earliest known ancestor, Hans Schmidinger, in 1541. This family located in Styria, Austria, eventually moved to the neighboring country of Hungary in the mid-1700s, and eventually settled in the United States around 1880.
Whatever its origin, the Schmidinger surname has become internationally established in many different forms over the centuries. People with any of the various spellings and surnames related to Schmidinger can trace their heritage back to the same original source.
Famous people with the name Schmidinger
- Hans Schmidinger: Hans Schmidinger is an Austrian television director and producer. He is most well known for his long-standing directorial work on the show Allgemeine Zeitung, where he has acted as director for over 400 episodes in his career. He is also the founder of the production company Hans Schmidinger Produktion.
- Danica Schmidinger: Danica Schmidinger, born 1981, is a Croatian-Austrian dancer and choreographer. She is a principal dancer with the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. She has performed extensively in Europe and North America, with her work being featured at many international dance festivals.
- Robert Schmidinger: Robert Schmidinger, born 1943, is an Austrian jazz musician and composer. He has been performing and composing for over 40 years, with more than 40 solo album credits to his name. He is acclaimed for his work as a composer and arranger for symphony orchestras and as the leader of his own big band.
- Franz Schmidinger: Franz Schmidinger, born 1957, is a contemporary sculptor from Austria. His sculptures have been featured in galleries and exhibitions across Europe, and are often abstract in nature and made from stone, bronze or glass. He is best known for his use of strong angular shapes and his sharp comedic style in sculpture.
- Oswald Schmidinger: Oswald Schmidinger, born 1937, is an Austrian animal rights activist and social campaigner. He has spent over 50 years advocating for animal welfare and human dignity, and is highly respected in the animal rights scene in Austria for his work in this area. He is also an accomplished photographer.