Show ContentsGroff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Groff was first found in Switzerland.

Early Origins of the Groff family

The surname Groff was first found in Switzerland, where the family contributed to the development of the region. They became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Groff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Groff research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1527, 1599, 1611, 1664, 1671, 1678, 1719, 1769, 1807, 1815, 1826, 1841 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Groff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Groff Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Graf, Grafe,Graef, Graff, Graffen, Graffin, Grafen, Grafin, Grav, Graaf and many more.

Early Notables of the Groff family

Notables of the time with the surname Groff were Urs Graf (1485-1527), Swiss engraver and goldsmith, influenced by Albrecht Duerer; Cornelis de Graeff (1599-1664), Mayor of Amsterdam; Free Imperial Knight Andries de Graeff (1611-1678), Mayor of Amsterdam; Cornelis de Graeff (1671-1719), Dutch Canon of St. Pieter at...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Groff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Groff Ranking

In the United States, the name Groff is the 4,853rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Groff migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Groff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Peter Groff, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
  • Jacob Groff, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
  • Christian Groff, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
  • Peter Groff, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
  • Andrew Groff, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Groff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Christoph Groff, aged 36, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 2
  • John Adolf Groff, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1839 2
  • John George Groff, who landed in New York in 1840 2
  • George Groff, who arrived in New York, NY in 1854 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Groff (post 1700) +

  • Charles Wister Groff (1898-1987), renowned American southern California real estate developer
  • Ulysses Grant Groff (1865-1950), large American landowner and philanthropist
  • David Groff, American poet, writer, and independent editor
  • Sarah Groff (b. 1981), American athlete who competes in triathlon
  • Lauren Groff (b. 1978), American novelist and short story writer
  • Rinne Groff, American playwright and performer
  • Robbie Groff (b. 1966), former American race car driver
  • Jonathan Drew Groff (b. 1985), American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor
  • Mike Groff (b. 1961), American former race car driver
  • Lloyd Groff Copeman (1881-1956), American inventor who invented the first electric stove, the flexible rubber ice cube tray and had over seven hundred patents in his name


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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