Hoffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The name Hoffe belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived near a hill or steep ridge of land. The surname Hoffe is usually derived from the Old English word hoh, which means heel or projecting ridge of land. However, it is sometimes derived from the Old Norse word haugr, which means mound or hill. Furthermore, the name Hoffe may be derived from residence in one of a variety of similarly named places: Hoe is in Norfolk, Hoo is in Kent, places called Hooe are in Devon and Sussex, Hose is in Leicestershire, places named Heugh are in Durham and Northumberland, and settlements called Hough are found in both Cheshire and Derby.

Early Origins of the Hoffe family

The surname Hoffe was first found in Cheshire at Hough, a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East which dates back to the 13th century when it was first listed as Hohc. 1 2 3

Dusting off some centuries-old records we found, Wilielmus de Huff, registered in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

The name is "especially common in Bedfordshire and Northants, fairly so in Suffolk, Essex, Herts and Bucks, and very common in Northumberland and Durham. The nominative singular gives Hough, in Scotland and Northern England Heugh." 5

Early History of the Hoffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoffe research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1564, 1618, 1651, 1660, 1681, 1687, 1699, 1717 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Hoffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoffe Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hoffe include Hough, Huff, Houfe, Hoff, Hoffe and others.

Early Notables of the Hoffe family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Hough (1651-1743), Bishop of Oxford (1699), and later Bishop of Worcester (1717), best known for the confrontation over his election as President at Magdalen College, Oxford (1681-1687.) He was "the son of John Hough...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoffe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoffe Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Hoffe is the 729^th most popular surname with an estimated 59 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Hoffe family to Ireland

Some of the Hoffe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoffe migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hoffe were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Hoffe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Artherton Hoffe, (Hough), mayor of Boston, England who sailed to Boston, MA aboard the ship "Griffin" in 1633, he became the assistant to the governor of Massachusetts. 7
Mrs. Elizabeth Hoffe, (Hough), who arrived in Boston aboard the ship "Griffin" in 1633, with her husband 8

Hoffe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Georges Hoffe, aged 10, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Edward Quesnel" in 1830 9
Madelina Hoffe, aged 14, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Lorena" in 1836 9
Jeanette Hoffe, aged 5, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Lorena" in 1836 9
Charlotte Hoffe, aged 26, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Bark Johann Georg" in 1838 9
W. M. Hoffe, aged 25, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Great Western" in 1838 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result