Schultz Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Schultz last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Schultz last name
Meaning of the Schultz last name: village headman. Schultz is a German surname from Schultheiß, the village headman or sheriff, also written Schulz. The last name is common across northern and eastern Germany. Prussian and American census sheets keep both Schultz and Schulz for the same surname. Prussian address books print Schultz and Schulz as everyday spellings of this surname.
Arms associated with the Schultz name
In German lands craftsmen used a coat of arms too, and heraldry associated with the Schultz surname shares that civic tradition.
The village headman
Schultz is a short form of Schultheiß, the medieval village headman who collected dues and kept order for a lord, a role close to a mayor or constable. The title produced a whole family of surnames: Schulz, Schulze, Schulte, Schultheis and, in Silesia, Scholz.
The spelling with tz is now more American than German. Forebears estimates about 140,000 bearers in the United States against 39,000 in Germany, where Schulz is the usual form, and the 2010 Census ranked Schultz 297th, with 104,888 people. Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz used the shorter spelling; Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz used this one.
Get your full Schultz family history
This is only a glimpse of the Schultz story. The full Schultz history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Schultz coat of arms. Get the full Schultz report.
Schultz name FAQ
What does the Schultz name mean?
Village headman. Common variants include Schulz, Schulze.
Where does the Schultz surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and Switzerland.
Is there a Schultz coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Schultz coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
What does Schultz mean?
It comes from Schultheiß, a village headman or local official.
Are Schultz and Schulz the same name?
Yes; they are spellings of the same title-based surname.
Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Schultz". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.