Schulz is a common German family name from Germany, particularly Northern Germany. The word Schulz originates from the local official title of Schultheiß or Schulze, meaning head of town/village (akin to today's office of mayor) or judge. The final "e" of Schulze was often dropped as early as the 15th century.[1]
In East Central Germany and Silesia, the "u" was often replaced by "o"; see also Scholz and Scholtz.
Despite initially being a mostly Aryan or Germanic surname, it was later appropriated by Ashkenazi Jews. This was due to a variety of factors, such as the increased migration of Jews into Germany during the mediæval period, in no small part due to their expulsions from Italy, Spain, France, and other European states.