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

Hofman, 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 Hofman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hofman in America

Hofman is the 15347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hofman surname appeared 1,911 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 Hofman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hofman 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 Hofman

The surname "HOFMAN" is of German origin, deriving from the Old German words "hof" meaning "court" or "farm" and "mann" meaning "man." The name first emerged in the region of Bavaria, Germany, during the Middle Ages, likely in the 12th or 13th century.

The name was initially given to individuals who resided on or worked for a particular court or farm estate. It was a common occupational surname during that period, denoting someone's profession or place of employment. Variations of the spelling include "Hoffmann," "Hofmann," and "Hofman."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also found in the Deutsches Städtebuch, a compilation of historical records from various German cities.

Notable individuals bearing the surname include Christian Hofmann von Hofmannswaldau (1617-1679), a German poet and writer known for his contributions to the Baroque literary movement. Another was Johann Christoph Hofmann (1683-1750), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher.

In the 19th century, August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818-1892) was a renowned German chemist and pioneer in the field of organic chemistry. He made significant contributions to the understanding of molecular structures and chemical reactions.

Moving into the 20th century, Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) was a German-American painter and influential art teacher. He played a pivotal role in the development of Abstract Expressionism and is considered one of the most important figures in modern art.

Another notable bearer of the name was Konrad Hofmann (1819-1890), a German Catholic theologian and church historian who served as a professor at the University of Munich.

While the surname Hofmann is more commonly found in Germany and other German-speaking regions, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to carry its historical roots and occupational connotations, reflecting the rich heritage of German surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hofman

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

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

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

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