Wolfhope last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Wolfhope

A surname suggesting a hope or desire associated with wolves.

Wolfhope, 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 Wolfhope surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolfhope in America

Wolfhope is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolfhope surname appeared 170 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 Wolfhope.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolfhope 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 105079 95091 9.98%
Count 170 178 -4.60%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.07 -15.38%

The history of the last name Wolfhope

The surname Wolfhope likely originates from the Germanic regions of Europe, dating back to the medieval period, roughly around the 12th or 13th centuries. The name is believed to be a compound of two Old German words: "wolf," which means "wolf," a common element in Germanic names symbolizing strength and bravery, and "hope," which in Middle High German could mean "a small enclosed valley" or "refuge." This combination would imply a meaning along the lines of "Wolf Refuge" or "Valley of the Wolf."

Historical references to the name can be found in various medieval documents. One early record appears in a 14th-century German tax ledger where the name Wolfhope was mentioned as part of the registry of residents in a small village in the Rhineland region. This area, known for its forested landscapes and valleys, would support the topographical aspect of the name.

The first known individual recorded with the surname Wolfhope is Heinrich Wolfhope, a minor nobility member in the early 14th century, born in 1308 and passed away in 1375. He is documented in several charters where he is listed as a landholder and a knight in service to the local lord. Another early reference comes from a 15th-century manuscript detailing the genealogy of a prominent family in Bavaria, where Adelheid Wolfhope is noted for her marriage into the wealthy von Württemberg family around 1480.

In the 16th century, we find Martin Wolfhope, a noted scholar born in 1532 in the city of Frankfurt. Martin gained some renown for his work in natural philosophy and authored several treatises on wildlife and their habitats. The influence of his work was acknowledged in numerous academic circles across what is now modern-day Germany.

The surname crosses paths with England through records from the 17th century. Jürg Wolfhope, born in 1596, migrated from Hamburg to London around 1630. He established himself as a merchant and was involved in the wool trade, which was thriving at the time. Jürg's enterprise grew substantially, and he became a well-respected figure in London’s commercial society.

Another notable figure is Anna Wolfhope, an artist born in 1764 in Vienna. Anna's landscapes, particularly those capturing the serene valleys and woodlands of her native Austria, gained considerable attention. Her works were exhibited across Europe, contributing significantly to the artistic depiction of natural sceneries during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The unfoldment of the surname Wolfhope through centuries reveals a family name signifying strength and refuge, grounded in the Germanic regions and spreading through Europe by way of notable individuals who left their mark in various fields such as nobility, academia, commerce, and art.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolfhope

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

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 Wolfhope was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.24% 167
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

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 Wolfhope has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.24% 97.19% 1.07%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 2.81% (S)%
Hispanic 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

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

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

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"Wolfhope last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 13, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolfhope-surname-popularity/.

"Wolfhope last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolfhope-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 May, 2025

Wolfhope last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wolfhope-surname-popularity/.

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