Schmitt

Schmitt is a surname of German origin, a variant of Schmidt, derived from Schmied, meaning smith, the tradesperson who worked metal. The spelling with double t reflects regional phonology and orthographic variation. In German-speaking areas, Schmitt is common alongside Schmidt and Schmid; the name is also found in Alsace-Lorraine, Luxembourg, and among diaspora communities in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

The name has several regional variants, including Schmidt, Schmid, Schmied, and Schmitt keeps the double t in many families. It is commonly a patronymic or occupational surname.

In science and technology, the surname is associated with the Schmitt trigger, an electronic circuit named after Otto H. Schmitt, who developed a comparator with hysteresis that provides clean switching of slow or noisy signals. It has been widely used in digital circuits, instrumentation, and signal processing.

Notable people with the surname include Otto H. Schmitt (1913–1998), American electrical engineer and neurobiologist who contributed to biomedical instrumentation and the Schmitt trigger; others with the surname have made contributions in fields such as science, law, arts, and politics.

The name Schmitt appears in place names and family genealogies in German-speaking regions and in communities abroad, reflecting migration and cultural exchange. Variants such as Schmidt and Schmid are often encountered as separate surnames in the same linguistic family.