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

Eckhoff, 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 Eckhoff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eckhoff in America

Eckhoff is the 12971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eckhoff surname appeared 2,367 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Eckhoff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eckhoff 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.

The history of the last name Eckhoff

The surname Eckhoff originated in Germany, and it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "eck," meaning "corner" or "edge," and "hof," meaning "courtyard" or "farm." Therefore, Eckhoff likely referred to someone who lived on a farm or property located at a corner or edge of a village or town.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Eckhoff can be found in various German historical records, including church registers and land deeds from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable mention is in the Liber Vitae, a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland, where the name "Eckhoff" appears among a list of donors and benefactors.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone several spelling variations, including Eckhof, Eckhove, and Eckhoven. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciations. Some of these older spellings can be linked to specific place names, such as the town of Eckhoven in the Rhineland region of Germany.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Eckhoff throughout history is Johann Eckhoff (1673-1734), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Eckhoff (1832-1906), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscape and genre scenes depicting life in the American West.

In the 18th century, the name Eckhoff can be found in records related to German immigrants who settled in various parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Johann Gottfried Eckhoff (1757-1826), a German-born farmer who emigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 18th century and established a successful agricultural community.

During the 19th century, the Eckhoff name gained recognition in the field of academia with Johann Peter Eckhoff (1792-1868), a German philologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature. Additionally, Carl Eckhoff (1869-1942), a Norwegian engineer and industrial pioneer, played a crucial role in the development of Norway's hydroelectric power industry.

Throughout its history, the surname Eckhoff has been associated with various professions and fields, from music and art to agriculture, academia, and industry. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has dispersed across various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped societies over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eckhoff

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

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 Eckhoff was:

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 Eckhoff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Eckhoff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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