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

Hoeft, 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 Hoeft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoeft in America

Hoeft is the 10499th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoeft surname appeared 3,056 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 Hoeft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoeft 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 Hoeft

The surname Hoeft originated in Germany, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "hovet," meaning "head" or "chief." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who held a position of authority or leadership within their community.

One of the earliest known references to the Hoeft surname can be found in the records of the city of Lübeck, in northern Germany. In 1587, a man named Hans Hoeft was listed as a resident of the city. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 16th century.

The Hoeft surname also appears in various historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. For instance, in 1678, a man named Johann Hoeft was recorded as a landowner in the village of Neukirchen, near the city of Uelzen in Lower Saxony. Additionally, in 1742, a farmer named Friedrich Hoeft was listed in the records of the town of Bremervörde, located in the northwestern region of Germany.

Notably, the Hoeft surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Gustav Hoeft (1844-1924), a German architect who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank building and the Charlottenburg Palace.

Another significant figure was Karl Hoeft (1887-1958), a German politician who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) during the Weimar Republic era. He was a vocal critic of the Nazi regime and was eventually imprisoned for his opposition to the government.

In the realm of literature, the Hoeft surname is represented by Hans Hoeft (1911-2001), a German writer and poet who was known for his lyrical works and his contributions to the post-war literary scene in Germany.

Moving further back in history, there are records of a nobleman named Johann von Hoeft, who lived in the 15th century and held lands in the region of Mecklenburg, in northern Germany. This suggests that the Hoeft surname may have had noble roots in certain areas of the country.

While the Hoeft surname is predominantly found in Germany, it has also been traced to other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Scandinavia, likely due to migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoeft

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

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

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

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