Show ContentsHofman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Silesia is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Hofman. This name is derived from the German word "hof" meaning "settlement" or "farm" and "mann" meaning "man." The name may have originally been born by someone who owned their land as opposed to working someone else's land, or perhaps by the manager, or steward of such an estate.

Early Origins of the Hofman family

The surname Hofman was first found in Silesia, where the family became noted for its many branches within the region. Ancient chronicles first mention Otten Buzwoys Hoveman of Liegnitz, Silesia (1383), Hans Kosche Hoffman of Liegnitz (1558), and Nickel Hofeman the belt-maker of Goerlitz (1425.)

Early History of the Hofman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hofman research. Another 373 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1616, 1627, 1640, 1653, 1669, 1679, 1683, 1685, 1692, 1712, 1715, 1716, 1719, 1750, 1778, 1789, 1803, 1827 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Hofman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hofman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Hoffmann, Hofmann, Hoffman, Hofman, Hoeffmann, Hoefmann, Hoeffman, Hoefman, Hofemann, Hofeman, Hovemann, Hoveman and many more.

Early Notables of the Hofman family

Notables of the period with the surname Hofman were

  • Pieter Hofman (1640-1692), a Flemish Baroque painter

Hofman Ranking

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


Hofman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hofman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jan Hofman, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1653 3
Hofman 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.)
Hofman 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

Hofman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hofman 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


Suggested Readings for the name Hofman +

  • 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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