Achterhof last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Achterhof is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Achterhof.

Meaning of Achterhof

A Dutch toponymic surname referring to someone who lived behind a courtyard or garden.

Achterhof, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Achterhof surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Achterhof in America

Achterhof is the 67943rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Achterhof surname appeared 290 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Achterhof.

We can also compare 2010 data for Achterhof to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 67943 71372 -4.92%
Count 290 255 12.84%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.09 10.53%

The history of the last name Achterhof

The surname "Achterhof" finds its origins in the Low German language spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 5th and 15th centuries, in these regions.

The name "Achterhof" is derived from the Low German words "achter" meaning "behind" and "hof" meaning "courtyard" or "farm". It may have originally referred to a homestead or farm located behind another property or at the back of a village. Variations in spelling include "Achterhoff", "Agterhof", and "Agterhofe".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Schatzungslisten (tax records) of the city of Lübeck, Germany, from the year 1487, where a certain "Hans Achterhof" is mentioned. Another early reference is in the baptismal records of the St. Petri Church in Hamburg, Germany, where a child named "Catharina Achterhoff" was baptized in 1593.

Prominent individuals with the surname "Achterhof" include Gerrit Achterhof (1648-1719), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and seascapes. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Achterhof (1775-1842), a German theologian and professor at the University of Marburg.

In the 19th century, a family by the name of Achterhof was among the earliest settlers in the town of Friesland, Wisconsin, United States. One member of this family, Heinrich Achterhof (1820-1892), became a respected landowner and community leader in the area.

Other historical figures include Pieter Achterhof (1876-1946), a Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam, and Gerhard Achterhof (1912-1971), a German-born American chemist who made significant contributions to the study of organic compounds.

While not as prevalent as some other surnames, the name "Achterhof" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back to the Low German language and the rural landscapes of northern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Achterhof

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Achterhof.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Achterhof was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.21% 279
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Achterhof has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.21% 98.04% -1.88%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Achterhof was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Achterhof, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Achterhof last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/achterhof-surname-popularity/.

"Achterhof last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/achterhof-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Achterhof last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/achterhof-surname-popularity/.

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