Show ContentsHover History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Hover. 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 Hover family originally lived on a farmstead. The name Hover is derived from the Old German and German word hof, which means settlement, farm or court.

Early Origins of the Hover family

The surname Hover 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 Hover family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hover 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 Hover History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hover 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 Hover include Hof, Hoff, Hoffe, Hofer, Hoefer, Hoeffer, Hoffer, Hofle, Hoefe, Hofler, Hoefler, Hofner and many more.

Early Notables of the Hover family

More information is included under the topic Early Hover Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hover Ranking

In the United States, the name Hover is the 16,892nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Hover 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:

Hover Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Blanch Hover, who landed in Maryland in 1662 2
Hover Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Hover, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
Hover Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Elis Hover, who arrived in America in 1847 2
  • Anthony Hover, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1853 2
  • Friedrich August Hover, aged 22, who landed in America in 1867 2
  • Josephine Hover, aged 38, who landed in America in 1881 2

Canada Hover migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hover Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Caspar Hover U.E., "Casper, Hoover" born in Holland who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1783 he died from a falling tree c. 1785-1786, married to Barbara Monk 3
  • Mr. Henry Hover U.E. (b. 1763) from Westchester County, New York, USA who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 he served in Butler's Rangers, married to Jane Huff in 1790 they had 11 children 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Hover (post 1700) +

  • Donald R. "Don" Hover (b. 1954), American retired NFL football linebacker
  • Dow B. Hover (1901-1990), the last person to serve as a State Electrician (executioner) of the New York State


  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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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