Surname Schulz - Meaning and Origin
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Schulz: What does the surname Schulz mean?
The surname Schulz is of German origin and traditionally belongs to someone who was a village head or a person in a position of authority and responsibility. In medieval Germany, it was used to denote the mayor of a town or village, a local magistrate or military leader. Its etymology comes from ‘schultheize’, an Old German term where 'schuld' means "debt" or "guilt" and 'heizan' signifies "command" or "order". Therefore, Schulz could symbolize someone who is in debt, under an obligation, or responsible. But, mainly, it associates with a village head or mayor. Variations of this surname include Schultz, Shultz, or Schultheiss. Today, Schulz is a widespread surname in Germany and areas of Polish, Jewish, and Danish influence.
Order DNA origin analysisSchulz: Where does the name Schulz come from?
The last name Schulz is mainly found in Europe, primarily in Germany, Austria, and Scandinavian countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It's also quite common in the United States, where it can be found in all 50 states. Within the US, the name is particularly prevalent in the Midwest and the northern states. In the census of 2000, Schulz was the 166th most common surname in the US, with 66,585 people sharing the name.
In Germany, the name Schulz is currently the 14th most popular last name and was one of the most commonly found last names in the former East Germany. Within Europe, it's more common in the east than the west. In Austria, the name Schulz ranked 20th in popularity, while in Sweden it was 130th and in Norway, it was 38th in popularity.
The name has a Germanic origin and derives from the word "schultheiss" which means "headman", "chief vassal" or "lord." Throughout its history, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Shultz, Schultz and Shults, among others.
Variations of the surname Schulz
The surname Schulz (or Schultz) is of German origin and has many various spellings and surnames of the same origin. Many of these variants are based on German dialects and follow the rules of German grammar. Some of these variants include: Schults, Schultz, Schulze, Schultze, Schulte, Schultheiss, Schulten, and Schultheis.
The surname Schulz is derived from the Middle Low German word 'Schultheiss', and various spellings of this word, in different German dialects, will produce the variant surnames. 'Schultheiss' was the title given to a town elder or magistrate in medieval Germany, and indicated a person of importance or influence in their local area.
In Germany, spelling of surnames usually changed or evolved over time, depending on what part of Germany the family originated from. Other variants such as Schulthess, Schultes, Schulten and Schulteis all stem from Middle Low German. In some regions, such as parts of Austria and southern Germany, the Schulz surname was sometimes spelled as 'Schultheiss'.
In other countries where German immigrants settled, the spelling of the surname often changed slightly. In the United States and Canada, for example, the spelling 'Schultz' and sometimes 'Schults' is more common. In Scotland, a variety of spellings of the name can be found, such as Scholes, Scholl, Shall, and Shill. Similarly, in the Netherlands and Scandinavia the name is often seen in various forms, such as Scholte, Scholten, Scholens, and Schulty.
Overall, the variants, spellings and surnames of Schulz are quite varied, due to their German origin and the evolution of the spelling of the name over time.
Famous people with the name Schulz
- Charles M. Schulz- renowned cartoonist who created the comic strip Peanuts.
- Kelly Schulz: Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.
- Barry Schulz: professional golf caddy.
- Robert Schulz: Austrian-American conductor and composer.
- Tony Schulz: German footballer.
- Robert Schulz: German actor.
- Ulrich Schulz: German politician.
- Lukas Schulz: German actor.
- Arthur Schulz: German businessman and industrialist.
- Margot Schulz: German actress.
- Wally Schulz: German footballer.
- Iver Schulz: Norwegian geophysicist.
- Steve Schulz: American politician.
- Gunter Schulz: German musician.
- Kurt Schulz: American football coach.
- Lena Schulz: German actress.
- Nicolas Schulz: German cyclist.
- Rico Schulz: German footballer.
- Hugo Schulz: German technician and inventor.
- Arsen Schulz: Russian footballer.