The ancient roots of the Offe family name are in the
Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Offe comes from when the family lived near a hill or steep ridge of land. The surname Offe 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 Offe 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 Offe family
The surname Offe 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early History of the Offe family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Offe research.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1651, 1743, 1699, 1717, 1681 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Offe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Offe Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The
spelling variations under which the name Offe has appeared include Hough, Huff, Houfe, Hoff, Hoffe and others.
Early Notables of the Offe family (pre 1700)
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Offe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Offe family to Ireland
Some of the Offe family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Offe family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Offe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Johann Offe, aged 37, a tinman, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 aboard the ship "Pauline" [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PAULINE 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Pauline.htm - Claus Offe, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 aboard the ship "Victoria" [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) VICTORIA 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Victoria.htm