Shults
A surname usually treated as a variant spelling of Schultz, ultimately from a German occupational name for a village headman or constable.
The #7,975 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,468 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shults is most likely an Americanized spelling of German Schultz or Schulz. That surname goes back to Middle High German forms related to a village official, especially a headman, sheriff, or constable, and ultimately to the idea of a person who administered or enforced local duties. The literal root is often connected with a term for an official who collected dues or supervised a settlement.
History
The spelling Shults appears chiefly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, where immigrant surnames were often simplified or respelled on arrival. It is part of a large family of German surname forms including Schultz, Schulz, Schultze, and variants with similar pronunciation. Because the spelling is secondary, family lines with Shults may not share a single original spelling in Europe.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Schultz-type surnames are among the most common German-origin surnames, so many different English spellings can point back to the same broad occupational root.