Surname Shults - Meaning and Origin

Shults: What does the surname Shults mean?

Shults is a surname of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German term "schultheize", which means "village headman" or "mayor". Thus, the surname likely originated as an occupational surname for individuals who held this position in their communities. Over time, the pronunciation and spelling of the term evolved, leading to variations including Schultz, Schulz, Shultz, and Shults among others. However, not all individuals bearing the surname Shults can be traced back to an ancestor who was a village headman or mayor, as it was not uncommon in historical times for a surname to be adopted for reasons other than occupation, such as location, patronage, or to evoke a particular characteristic. Despite these possibilities, the dominant association of the surname Shults remains its link to historical roles of leadership within a community.

Shults: Where does the name Shults come from?

The surname Shults is most commonly found today in the United States. The earliest known record of a Shults ancestor is a Johannes Shults, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1733. It is believed that the Shults family was originally of Germanic-Scandinavian origin, likely from an area near the Baltic Sea.

The name Shults appears in many records throughout American history. The brothers George and Jacob Shults moved from Philadelphia to Cumberland County Virginia and settled in what later became simulation, West Virginia in the late 1760s. Over the years, the Shults family has spread out across the US.

Many Shults surnamed individuals are found today in the Midwest region of the United States. Michigan is home to the largest population of Shults individuals, with the states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Minnesota also hosting large numbers of the family.

Shults descendants can also be found further south in the US, with a sizable population in Texas and smaller populations in surrounding states, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

The Shults name is also held by many family members living in the Northeastern region of the US, specifically in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. California is the other US state with a significant Shults population.

In many of the states noted above, the Shults family name is included in both large metropolitan areas, as well as the smaller rural towns and cities. Wherever their descendants may be, the Shults name is held with pride by both present and past generations.

Variations of the surname Shults

The surname Shults is of German origin and is derived from the German word for ‘one who lives in or near the woods’. Historically, the name has been spelled several different ways, with the most common variations being Shult, Schult, Schulte, Schultz, and Schulze. The Schult variation is most common in Germany, while the Shult variation is the most common spelling in the United States.

Within the United States, Shults is found predominantly in Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as several other midwestern states. The surname is also found in other parts of the world, including Canada, England, and even Australia. In addition, there are many variants of the Shults name that have been adopted by immigrants and new citizens, such as Shultz, Schults, and Shultze.

In addition to the spelling variants of Shults, there are also several different surnames that can be traced to the same origin. These include Schuyler, Schuler, Schuller, Schullinger, and Shulman. Lastly, there are several other surnames of a similar origin that are not direct variants of Shults, such as Schuetz, Schultheis, and Schulze.

Famous people with the name Shults

• Heide Shults: an American feminist philosopher and a professor at the University of Tennessee.
• Jeffrey Shults: a professional baseball player, currently part of the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball.
• Lara Shults: an American professional women's basketball player, part of the Dallas Wings in the Women's National Basketball Association.
• Matt Shults: an American professional golfer, currently playing on the Korn Ferry Tour.
• Bradley Shults: an American professional football player, currently playing on the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League.
• Mary Shults: an American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for her role as Quark in the hit show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• Rob Shults: an American entrepreneur, best known for founding the online media store, Rooftop Media.
• Gary Shults: an American lawyer and former executive at the United States Department of Justice.
• George Shults: an American politician, currently serving as a Councillor in San Diego, California.
• Caroline Shults: an American singer and actress, currently part of the cast of the musical Kinky Boots on Broadway.

Other surnames

Shultz