Foltz
A German surname most likely developed as a variant of Voltz, ultimately from the name Volker or a related short form beginning with Vol-.
The #4,075 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,431 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Foltz is generally treated as a spelling variant of Voltz. In German naming, Voltz is often connected with short forms of older personal names beginning with Vol-, especially names related to Volker. The initial F- spelling can reflect regional pronunciation or old orthographic variation, rather than a separate root.
History
The name appears in German-speaking areas and was carried to North America by immigrants and their descendants. In surname lists from the 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars repeatedly equated Foltz with Voltz, showing that the two forms were already understood as closely related. In the United States, Foltz became established as an independent family spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname scholars explicitly glossed Foltz as equivalent to Voltz, which is why the two spellings are often treated as variants in historical name studies.
From the historical record
“Foggett, Fogue and Foque, Fohig, Foil and Foye, FoLAN, Foley, Folger, Follansbee ; Follen, Fol- LiNG, and FoLLiNGs ; Follett, Follis, Foltz, Fonta- rive, Fonteny, Foohy, Foran, Forbes, Forbush, FOREN, FORNESS, FoRNEY, FoRRAR, FoRSAITH, FoRSEY, FORTRO, FOSBERRY, FoSDICK, FoSGATE, FoSKETT, FOUHY, FOUQUET, FoYNES…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)