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

Hoft, 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 Hoft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hoft in America

Hoft is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hoft surname appeared 219 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 Hoft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hoft 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 Hoft

The surname Hoft is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "hof," which means "courtyard" or "farmstead." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked on a farm or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hoft can be found in a 1587 document from the town of Mainz, where a certain Johann Hoft was listed as a resident. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 16th century in the German region.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Europe. Records from the Netherlands show a Hans Hoft living in Amsterdam in the 1620s, while in England, a William Hoft is mentioned in a parish register from Suffolk in 1642.

As for notable individuals bearing the surname Hoft, one of the earliest was Johann Georg Hoft (1658-1720), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. Another was Carl Friedrich Hoft (1772-1836), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.

In the 19th century, the name made its way to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Hoft, who immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1846. Another notable American with the surname was John Hoft (1833-1912), a Union soldier who fought in the American Civil War.

In more recent history, the name Hoft has been associated with several notable figures, including the German-American writer and journalist Ida Marie Hoft (1858-1936), and the American businessman and philanthropist Frederick Hoft (1879-1954), who founded the Hoft Memorial Trust.

While the surname Hoft is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, with roots firmly planted in the German language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hoft

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

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

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

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