Saturday, July 24, 2010

Surname Saturday: Sauls

My maiden name, the surname Sauls has given me difficulty in my research. This is because there are two distinct possibilities with regard to its origin and meaning. One meaning of the name is English in origin. In this case, Sauls is a possessive form of the Hebrew first name Saul, meaning that the bearer of the surname Sauls is a descendant of someone named Saul. However, I have evidence that the surname Sauls is an anglicization of the German/Dutch name Salz. This form is found in most German- or Dutch-speaking countries in Europe. It means that the bearer of the surname is a dealer in salt, either its production or its sales.

My Sauls family seem to have come from Holland, although this has yet to be confirmed. They settled in South Carolina at some point prior to 1850. This is the earliest certain record I have of the family, but I have a record that indicates the family may have been in South Carolina as early as 1805.