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Hoff History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Hoff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Hoff

What does the name Hoff mean?

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Hoff. When hereditary surnames were adopted in this region, after the 12th century, names that were derived from localities were quite common. These "local" surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. However, in modern times, the use of the preposition has often long since been dropped from use. The Hoff family originally lived on a farmstead. The name Hoff is derived from the Old German and German word hof, which means settlement, farm or court.

Early Origins of the Hoff family

The surname Hoff was first found in Westphalia, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation. The name probably stems from the German word "Hof" meaning "court."

Early History of the Hoff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoff research. Another 359 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1440, 1629, 1662, 1684, 1773 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Hoff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoff Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Hoff include Hof, Hoff, Hoffe, Hofer, Hoefer, Hoeffer, Hoffer, Hofle, Hoefe, Hofler, Hoefler, Hofner and many more.

Early Notables of the Hoff family

More information is included under the topic Early Hoff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoff World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hoff is the 2,085^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Hoff is ranked the 3,501^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2 And in Netherlands, the name Hoff is the 833^rd popular surname with an estimated 2,364 people with that name. 3

Hoff migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Hoff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andreas Hoff, who landed in New York in 1709 4
Johan Melgior Hoff, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
Johann Adam Hoff, who landed in New York in 1709 4
Lorentz Hoff, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1730 4
Lorentz Hoff, who sailed to America in 1730
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hoff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Hoff, who landed in New York in 1818 4
Gerh Anton Hoff, who arrived in America in 1837 4
Hermann Anton Hoff, aged 40, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 4
Christian Hoff, who arrived in Texas in 1844 4
Joseph Hoff, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hoff migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hoff Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Lawrence Hoff U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13,1783 was passenger number 403 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 5
Mrs. Ann Hoff U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13,1783 was passenger number 497 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 5
Miss. Ann Hoff U.E. (b. 1770), aged 13 who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13,1783 was passenger number 594 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 5
Mr. Henry Hoff U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 5
Mr. John Hoff U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 5

Hoff Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mr. Peder Hoff, American settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951

Hoff migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hoff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Hans L Hoff, (b. 1828), aged 44, Scandinavian labourer travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
Mrs. Marie Hoff, (b. 1833), aged 39, Scandinavian settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
Miss Gina Hoff, (b. 1856), aged 16, Scandinavian maid servant travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
Miss Lina Hoff, (b. 1857), aged 15, Scandinavian maid servant travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
Mr. Peter Hoff, (b. 1862), aged 10, Scandinavian settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hoff (post 1700) +

Philip Henderson Hoff (1924-2018), American politician, 73rd Governor of Vermont (1963-1969), Member of the Vermont House of Representatives (1961-1963)
Lawrence Conrad Hoff, American pharmaceutical company executive
Marcian Edward "Ted" Hoff (b. 1937), Intel executive and co-inventor of the microprocessor awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2009
Chester Cornelius Hoff (1891-1998), American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball
Kathryn "Katie" Elise Hoff (b. 1989), American Olympic swimmer
Christian Hoff (b. 1968), American actor
Bobby "The Wizard" Hoff, American professional poker player
Chester Hoff, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Missouri, 1956 7
Charles F. Hoff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1912 7
Carrie V. Hoff, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for University of Illinois trustee, 1918 7
... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html