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

Hoff, 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 Hoff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoff in America

Hoff is the 2103rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoff surname appeared 17,223 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hoff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoff 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 Hoff

The surname HOFF originated in Germany and has its roots dating back to the medieval period. It was derived from the Old High German word "hof," which meant a courtyard or a small village. This name was typically given to those who lived in or near a courtyard or small hamlet.

During the Middle Ages, the HOFF surname was concentrated in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhine River. It is believed that some of the earliest instances of this name can be found in historical records from the 12th and 13th centuries.

One notable historical reference to the HOFF surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the former Kingdom of Saxony, which includes entries from as early as the 11th century.

The earliest recorded individual with the HOFF surname is believed to be Johannes Hoff, a landholder in the region of Saxony, who lived during the late 13th century. Another early example is Konrad Hoff, a merchant from the town of Cologne, who is mentioned in a document dated 1347.

Over the centuries, the HOFF surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Hoffstadt, Hoffheim, and Hoffen. Additionally, there have been several notable individuals bearing this name throughout history.

One such individual was Johann Hoff (1549-1612), a German theologian and pastor who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Hans Hoff (1730-1792), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, Karl Ernst Adolf von Hoff (1771-1837) was a Prussian general who served in the Napoleonic Wars, while Wilhelm Hoff (1820-1892) was a German chemist known for his work on the structure of benzene.

Perhaps one of the most famous individuals with the HOFF surname was the American actor David Hasselhoff (born 1952), whose surname is a variation of Hoff, and who gained international fame for his roles in popular television series like "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoff

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

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

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

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