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ArchivesSchulivitz/Schulwitz
A relative of mine married someone with this surname in the 1880s. It was spelled two different ways in family obituaries, Schulivitz and Schulwitz. Any ideas about the origin (or correct spelling) of this name? The relative lived in Hamburg, Germany.
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Probably from the German place name Schullwitz, which is Slavic in origin. Schullwitz is situated in Eastern Germany, in an area where the Slavic language known as Sorbian was once spoken. There is more information about the place name here -
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schullwitz
In German, unfortunately for those (like me) who don't know the language.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schullwitz
In German, unfortunately for those (like me) who don't know the language.
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You can get a reasonably decent translation of https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schullwitz at tinyurl.com/oy3owrh. I think Schulivitz is a mistranscription of Jewish Shulevitz/Shulewitz/Shulovitz but the origin seems to be the same as Schulwitz.
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Strange. I just tried tinyurl.com/oy3owrh and it worked perfectly for me. Here's how it starts: "Schullwitz is a district in the east of the Saxon capital of Dresden. It is located in the suburbs of the same district and part of the village Schönfeld-Weissig."
I think you're right about the Jewish variants. I just checked Guggenheimer & Guggenheimer's dictionary and they have Shulevitz et al. as derived from Schul which is a kinnui for Saul.
I think you're right about the Jewish variants. I just checked Guggenheimer & Guggenheimer's dictionary and they have Shulevitz et al. as derived from Schul which is a kinnui for Saul.
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I can't access that URL; pity, it could be useful.
If the name is also Jewish the literal explanation may not be accurate. Berlin and London are both Jewish surnames but don't signify an ancestral origin in those cities. Perhaps a disguised patronymic, let's say (for argument) Shaulevich, "son of Shaul" or Saul. There are examples of such names.
If the name is also Jewish the literal explanation may not be accurate. Berlin and London are both Jewish surnames but don't signify an ancestral origin in those cities. Perhaps a disguised patronymic, let's say (for argument) Shaulevich, "son of Shaul" or Saul. There are examples of such names.
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