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

Gluff, 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 Gluff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gluff in America

Gluff is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gluff surname appeared 103 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 Gluff.

The history of the last name Gluff

The surname Gluff originated in the early 12th century in the region of Saxony, Germany. It is derived from the Old Germanic word "gluf" meaning "chasm" or "ravine." The earliest known reference to this name dates back to 1148 when a landowner named Rudolph von Gluff was mentioned in a deed regarding property near the Elbe River valley.

In 1235, records show a knight named Sir Gerhart Gluff took part in the Crusades. His family's coat of arms featured three diagonal stripes over a red field, symbolizing the cliffs and steep terrain near their ancestral home. The name Gluff appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a 13th-century manuscript documenting noble families in Saxony.

During the 15th century, the Gluff name spread to nearby regions like Thuringia and Brandenburg. A notable figure was Hans Gluff, born in 1412, who served as a master builder and helped construct several churches and castles throughout central Germany. In 1487, a merchant named Jakob Gluff established trade routes along the Elbe River, facilitating the exchange of goods between Saxony and the Hanseatic League cities.

As the Gluff family expanded, some members adopted variations of the name, such as Gluf, Gluffe, or Gluffius. In the 16th century, a Lutheran minister named Johann Gluff (1524-1598) gained prominence for his fiery sermons and writings opposing the Catholic Church during the Reformation.

The 17th century saw the birth of Christoph Gluff (1638-1701), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. His work on calculating the orbits of comets earned him recognition from the Royal Society in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gluff

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

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 Gluff 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.

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

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

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