Scholz

Scholz is a German surname derived from the medieval office of Schulz or Schultheiß, an official who administered a village on behalf of a lord. The name denotes a local magistrate or administrator and is common in Germany and neighboring regions. Variants include Schulz and Schultz, reflecting regional spellings of the same historical office.

Olaf Scholz (born 1958) is the most internationally prominent bearer of the name in recent years. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he studied law at the University of Hamburg and worked as a lawyer before entering politics. He served as First Mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018, gaining national recognition for his fiscally cautious approach and administrative experience. In 2018 he became Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance in Angela Merkel’s government, a position held until 2021. In December 2021 he was elected Chancellor of Germany, leading a coalition government formed by the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party. His tenure as chancellor has focused on economic stability, social welfare, and energy transition policies, as well as navigating Germany’s responses to inflation, the European Union's fiscal framework, and ongoing geopolitical challenges.

The surname Scholz is shared by numerous other individuals across fields such as sports, academia, and public life. As with many German-origin surnames, its bearers are dispersed across Germany and other parts of Europe, and the name appears in various regional spellings and transliterations.