Stoltz
A German surname built from a word meaning “proud” or “haughty,” related to Stolz.
The #5,847 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,224 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stoltz is a spelling variant of German Stolz and related forms. The base word means “proud” in modern German, and older usage could also carry the sense of “haughty” or “arrogant,” so the surname likely began as a nickname for someone seen as proud in bearing or temperament. The final -tz spelling reflects older or regional orthography rather than a different root.
History
This surname belongs to a larger German name family that includes Stolz, Stolze, and other spelling variants. It is found in German-speaking areas and later appears in North America through immigration, where spellings were often preserved or slightly adapted. The form with -tz is less common than Stolz but clearly belongs to the same onomastic group.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The related word Stolz is still a common German adjective today, so this is one of those surnames whose original meaning is still immediately recognizable to modern German speakers.
From the historical record
“noch immer das alte Rgmt. waren, das noch einmahlen schlecht gethan und nimmermehr thun wird (wenn nur der Anfuhrer gut und nicht zu stoltz und sorglos ist, als der in dem unseeligen Trenton war)wozu uns aber seit der ungliicklichen Affaire die Gelegenheit gefehlet, wobey wir hatten darthun konnen, dasz das alte…”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names