Stultz
A surname likely from German Stolz, meaning “proud,” often reshaped in English-speaking countries to look and sound more familiar.
The #7,010 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,618 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stultz is best explained as an Anglicized spelling of the German surname Stolz, which comes from a word meaning “proud” or “haughty.” The surname may also reflect a dialectal or altered pronunciation, with the final consonant cluster adapted in English spelling. In English-speaking records, such names were often remodeled to fit local pronunciation and spelling habits.
History
The name appears in North America in forms such as Stultz and Stout, reflecting the common reshaping of immigrant surnames into English-looking spellings. The excerpted source specifically treats Stultz as a form of Stolz, and notes that this change can be etymologically justified. In the United States, the spelling has become established as an independent family name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
This is one of those surnames where an English-looking spelling can hide a straightforward German meaning: “proud.”
From the historical record
“immigrants are regularly assimilated to English forms in the United States. In some cases, such as Cook for Koch, Cope (p. 107) for Kopf, Stout (p. 209) for Stolz or Stultz, the change is etymologically justified. But in other cases, such as Tallman for Thalmann, dale- man, Trout for Traut, faithful, the…”
— The Romance of Names