Hof History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Hof. Hereditary surnames were adopted in this region after the 12th century, and surnames were derived from localities were common. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. The Hof family originally lived on a farmstead. The name Hof is derived from the Old German and German word hof, which means settlement, farm or court.

Early Origins of the Hof family

The surname Hof was first found in Westphalia, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation. The name probably stems from the German word "Hof" meaning "court."

Early History of the Hof family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hof research. Another 359 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1440, 1629, 1662, 1684, 1773 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Hof History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hof Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Hof include Hof, Hoff, Hoffe, Hofer, Hoefer, Hoeffer, Hoffer, Hofle, Hoefe, Hofler, Hoefler, Hofner and many more.

Early Notables of the Hof family

Notables of the period with the name Hof were

Andreas Hofer (ca.1629-1684), a German composer

Hof Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Hof is the 250^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,406 people with that name. 1

Hof migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them were:

Hof Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Jost Hof, who arrived in Texas in 1840-1850 2
Mr. Christian Hof, aged 17, from Germany who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Joh. Derhardt" in 1844, he died in 1846
Mr. Joh. Jost. Hof, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Auguste Meline"
Mrs. Elisa Hof, (nee Clas), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Auguste Meline"
Miss Elisa Hof, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Auguste Meline"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hof migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hof Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cathrina Hof, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
Conrad Hof, aged 13, who landed in Quebec in 1893
Conrad Hof, aged 44, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
Elisabeth Hof, aged 19, who landed in Quebec in 1893
Georg Hof, aged 19, who arrived in Quebec in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hof (post 1700) +

Samuel Hof (b. 1937), US Army major general, 13th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps
Dennis Hof (b. 1946), American brothel owner in Nevada, star of the HBO series Cathouse
Wim Hof (b. 1959), Dutch daredevil nicknamed "the Iceman" for his ability to withstand extreme cold
Norbert Hof (b. 1944), Austrian retired footballer for the Austria National Team (1968-1974)
Mark-Peter Hof (b. 1990), Dutch professional basketball player
Marjolijn Hof (b. 1956), Dutch multiple award winning writer
Erich Hof (1936-1995), Austrian footballer and coach

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)