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

Wiederhoeft, 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 Wiederhoeft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wiederhoeft in America

Wiederhoeft is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wiederhoeft surname appeared 189 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 Wiederhoeft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wiederhoeft 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 Wiederhoeft

The surname Wiederhoeft has its origins in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. This name is a compound of the words "wieder" and "höft." "Wieder" translates to "back" or "again" in English, while "höft" is an archaic term for head or homestead, derived from Middle High German. The combination suggests a meaning akin to "returning to the homestead" or "reclaiming the household," reflecting a significant event or characteristic of the ancestral family.

Early records of the surname Wiederhoeft can be found in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas that were part of the Hanseatic League during the medieval period. This confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe could have been influential in the dispersal of the name. The appearance of similar surnames in historical documents like parish registers, tax records, and legal documents from the 14th and 15th centuries mark the earliest recorded instances.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wiederhoeft appears in a 1385 municipal record from Lübeck, one of the principal cities of the Hanseatic League. The document lists a Hans Wiederhoeft as a merchant involved in the trading of goods through the Baltic Sea. This early reference highlights the potential mercantile and socio-economic background of bearers of this name.

In the 16th century, another notable individual bearing the surname was Johann Wiederhoeft (1542–1614), a scholar and academic who contributed to theological debates during the Protestant Reformation. His works were published and widely distributed in regions that are part of modern-day Germany and Switzerland, providing valuable insight into the religious and intellectual currents of his time.

By the 18th century, the name Wiederhoeft had spread to other German-speaking areas, and variations in spelling started to appear, such as Wiederhöft and Wiederhoft, depending on regional dialects and the orthographic norms of local authorities. In 1723, records from Hamburg listed a Wilhelm Wiederhoeft as a ship captain, emphasizing the continued association of the family with trade and maritime activities.

The 19th century saw the emigration of many German families, including those named Wiederhoeft, to other parts of the world, notably the United States. Friedrich Wiederhoeft (1827–1891) migrated to New York in 1853 and became a well-known figure in the German-American community. His contributions to local business and cultural establishments were significant during a time of large-scale immigration.

In the field of science, Martha Wiederhoeft (1876–1951) made her mark as a pioneering female chemist in early 20th-century Germany. Her research in the field of organic chemistry gained recognition, and she published numerous papers that contributed to advancements in the discipline, making her one of the notable bearers of the surname in modern history.

The surname Wiederhoeft, though not widely common, carries a meaningful historical background that spans several centuries, particularly within German-speaking regions. Its bearers have contributed to various fields, reflecting the dynamic and evolving history of the families associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wiederhoeft

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!