Show ContentsHöfman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Höfman

What does the name Höfman mean?

The name Höfman is a proud symbol of ancient Jewish culture. Before the late Middle Ages, people were known only by a single name. However, as the population increased and travelers set out on their journeys, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves. Jewish hereditary surnames were adopted from a variety of different sources. The surname Höfman is of two possible derivations. In the first case, it is an occupational surname, which derives from the German word hof, which means settlement, or farm. Many Jews in the Russian Empire held such managerial positions on non-Jewish estates. The other meaning of the surname comes from the Yiddish word hofn, which means hope. As such, it was taken as a symbol, and was given to someone who had hope for the future.

Höfman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Hoffman, Hofman, Hofmann, Goffman, Gofman, Hoffer, Hofer, Hofner, Hoffner, Gofer, Goffer, Ofman and many more.

Höfman Ranking

the United States, the name Höfman is the 13,496th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Höfman is ranked the 97th most popular surname with an estimated 10,479 people with that name. 2


Höfman migration to the United States +



Höfman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jan Hofman, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1653 3
Höfman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Hofman, who landed in New York in 1709 3
  • Johan Kasper Hofman, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
  • Gabriel Hofman, who immigrated to America in 1709
  • Gabriel Hofman, who landed in New York in 1709 3
  • Heinrich Hofman, who landed in New York, NY in 1709 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Höfman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Hofman, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 3
  • Anton Hofman, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 3
  • Bastiaan Hofman, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 3
  • Charles Hofman, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 3
  • Adolf Hofman, aged 30, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1871 3

Höfman migration to Australia +

Höfman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Hofman, (Chappel, Connell), (b. 1806), aged 28, English boat builder who was convicted in Surrey, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he returned to England then was transported again on the "Mariquis of Hastings" in 1842 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Höfman (post 1700) +

  • Solly Hofman (1882-1956), American baseball player
  • Ethel G. Hofman (b. 1939), Jewish American culinary author and travel columnist
  • Robert George "Bobby" Hofman (1925-1994), American infielder, catcher and coach in Major League Baseball
  • René Hofman (b. 1961), Dutch footballer
  • Ota Hofman (1928-1989), Czech children's author
  • Joanna Hofman (b. 1967), Polish actress, diplomat
  • Jan Cornelis Hofman (1889-1966), alias Jean Hofman, Dutch art painter
  • Jan-Baptist Hofman (1758-1835), Flemish poet and playwright
  • Florentijn Hofman (b. 1977), Dutch artist
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Höfman +

  • Hoffmans in America in the 18th and 19th Centuries: A Source Book About People Bearing the Name of Hoffman, Huffman, Hofmann, etc., with Emphasis on Those Who Resided in Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio by Ruth Vernette McKee.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant


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