Walz
A surname with several possible European origins, most often treated as a shortened or altered form of Wallace/Wallis or a place-name from Valais or Wiltz.
The #4,879 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,763 Americans shares it.
Etymology
19th-century surname writers gave Walz several explanations rather than one settled origin. It has been linked to shortened or altered forms of Wallace, Walsh, or Walls; to Wallis/Valais in Switzerland; and to Wiltz (older forms such as Wilz) in Luxembourg. Some Germanic scholarship also connects it with older forms like Walezo, suggesting a broader continental surname background rather than a single source.
History
The name appears in English-language surname collections as both Walz and Waltz, especially among families recorded in the United States. German and Swiss bearers likely reflect Continental origins, while Anglicized bearers may represent adaptation from similar-sounding surnames such as Wallace or Walls. The spelling Walz is common in German-speaking contexts and in immigrant communities abroad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname commentators specifically noted Walz and Waltz as common in Philadelphia.
From the historical record
“noth, needing help. See NOTHARD. WALTZ, WALZ. 1. Corrupted from Wallace, Walsh, or Walls. [Walls is the name of parishes of Scotland, cos. Orkney and Shetland.] 2. From Wallis or Valais, a canton of Switzer- land. 3. From Wilz or Wiltz, a town of Dutch Luxemburg, on the Wilz. Waltz, Walz, Yoltz are found in Bowditch.”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames