2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hohf
Of German origin, an occupational surname for a farmer or landowner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Hohf. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hohf surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Hohf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohf, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hohf
The surname HOHF has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "hoh," meaning "high" or "elevated," possibly referring to a person living in a high or elevated area.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname HOHF can be found in the parish records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, in 1542. The name was spelled "Hohff" at that time, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period.
In the 17th century, the name HOHF appeared in various records across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Hohf (1620-1688), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Nürnberg.
As the name spread across Germany, it took on different spellings and variations, such as Hohfe, Hofe, and Hoffe. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the names of places where the families settled.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the HOHF surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany, with some families migrating to other regions or countries. One prominent figure from this period was Friedrich Hohf (1785-1857), a philosopher and writer from Saxony.
In the 19th century, the name also started appearing in other European countries, likely due to migration and emigration. For instance, Jakob Hohf (1812-1891) was a successful merchant in Vienna, Austria, while Heinrich Hohf (1830-1902) was a renowned architect in the Netherlands.
Other notable individuals with the surname HOHF include:
1. Wilhelm Hohf (1865-1932), a German botanist known for his work on plant taxonomy.
2. Elise Hohf (1880-1956), a German painter and sculptor active in the early 20th century.
3. Karl Hohf (1902-1978), a German-American engineer who made significant contributions to the development of rocket propulsion systems.
4. Anna Hohf (1920-2005), a Swiss writer and journalist known for her works on social issues.
5. Günther Hohf (1945-2021), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist.
While the surname HOHF is not among the most common surnames worldwide, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its German origins in the 16th century, with various notable bearers contributing to fields such as art, science, and industry over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hohf
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohf, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hohf bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hohf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hohf
Hohf appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,840 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,840 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hohf surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hohf bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Hohf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hohf?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Hohf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Hohf?
Hohf ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Hohf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hohf.
Has Hohf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hohf went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Hohf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hohf, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hohf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hohf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hohf (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hohf mean?
Of German origin, an occupational surname for a farmer or landowner. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hohf (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Hohf?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Hohf at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.