Surname Freischmidt - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Freischmidt: What does the surname Freischmidt mean?
The last name Freischmidt is believed to be a German surname, and is likely derived from either the German words "frei" (free) and "schmidt" (smith), or from the German words "frei" (free) and "schmid" (craftsman or master). This would suggest that the founding members of the Freischmidt name worked in either the metalworking industry or the field of master craftsmanship.
The surname began to appear in Germany around the 15th century, although it is unclear how this name came to be. It is possible that a master craftsman, possibly a metal smith, adopted the surname in order to illustrate his craftsmanship or to identify himself as a master craftsman. Alternatively, the surname may have been adopted by an individual who was deemed to be "Freischmidt" or "free from the smith".
Regardless of its origins, the surname Freischmidt is now quite common in Germany and many other countries around the world due to immigration and emigration that occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries. In Germany today, there are over 10,000 individuals with the Freischmidt surname.
Order DNA origin analysisFreischmidt: Where does the name Freischmidt come from?
The last name Freischmidt is most commonly found in Germany and other German-speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland. It is a rather rare surname, though its roots are deep in regional German history. The spelling of the name may vary depending on the region.
Freischmidt is primarily derived from the German word “frei”, which means “free”, and the German word “schmidt”, which means “smith” or “metalworker”. Given the literal interpretation, it is likely that the name was originally used as an occupational surname for a metalworker, probably in a small town or village.
Given the almost 500 year-old German root of the last name Freischmidt, it is still quite common in German-speaking countries, even in modern times. According to a German surname analysis, the name is most commonly found in Frankfurt, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The name is also found in many other regions living in Germany and abroad.
Some variations of the surname include Freschmidt, Frey Schmidt, and even Freischmid. Regardless of the variation used, the surname Freischmidt is still quite popular in German culture.
Variations of the surname Freischmidt
The Freischmidt surname is of Germanic origins, generally originating from areas of Germany and Austria. The variants associated with this surname include Freischmid, Freischmitt, Freissmidt, Freisemid, Freissemitt and Freyschmidt. Other spellings can vary depending on the dialect and country, such as Preisschmidt, Frießschmidt, and Freyschmid. In some cases, such as Austria, the pronunciation can be softened with the ‘sch’ replaced with ‘sh’, appearing as Freishmidt.
Due to the Germanic origin of the surname, there are many surnames of similar origin such as Freydag, Friessen, Freese, Friederichs, Friese, Fritsch and Fritsche. Occasionally, the surnames Preigent, Preuth and Pretienne may appear which have roots in the original surname, and can be linked to the Freischmidt family. In rare cases, the tartaric version Freskmidt can be seen.
These spelling variations and surname derivations may be found in both Germany and Austria, as well as countries to which Freischmidt families have emigrated to, such as the United States of America, Canada and Australia. With the large volume of movement of people between countries, it is important to keep in mind any potential spelling for the surname, Freischmidt, when researching family genealogy.
Famous people with the name Freischmidt
- Alfred Freischmidt (1899–1989), German interwar Expressionist painter
- Joseph Freischmidt (1841–1905), Austrian Protestant Biblical exegete
- Michael Freischmidt (born 1970), German shotputter
- Harald Freischmidt (born 1957), German opera bass-baritone
- Scarlett Freischmidt (born 1981), German actress
- Helmut Freischmidt (born 1936), German newsreader
- Hugo Freischmidt (1911–1987), German film score composer
- Oskar Freischmidt (1888–1972), German ceramist
- Paul Freischmidt (born 1929), German theologian and writer
- Ruth Freischmidt (1907-1992), German actress