Schultz
A German surname meaning “village headman” or “local magistrate,” from an old administrative title.
The #297 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,944 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Schultz is a German surname from the old office title schultheiß, later schultze, meaning a village headman, magistrate, or bailiff. The title goes back to Middle High German forms and originally referred to the person responsible for collecting dues and administering local authority. In surname use, it became a hereditary family name for someone who held, or was associated with, that office.
History
The name is especially common in German-speaking areas and appears in many spellings, including Schulz and Schulze. It is one of the classic German surnames derived from an office or civic function, much like Miller or Smith in English. In North America it often reflects German immigration and later spelling variation or simplification.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th- and early-20th-century surname books often grouped Schultz with other very common German names like Müller and Meyer as a standard example of a widespread German family name.
From the historical record
“SCHULTZ SCHULZ SCHULZE (Ger,) Magistrate, Bailiff, Mayor [Ger. schulze, f. M.H.Ger. schultheize (mod. Ger. sehultheiss),”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)