Surname Höffel - Meaning and Origin
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Höffel: What does the surname Höffel mean?
The surname Höffel is believed to be of German origin, although its exact meaning is uncertain. It is most likely derived from the Middle High German word “hövel” which means "little hill". The name could also be derived from the Middle High German name "Hofele" which was derived from the word "hof" meaning “court” or “settlement”.
The Höffel family is mentioned as early as 1549 in Oberndorf, Germany, where members of the family established themselves as citizens and merchants. During the 18th and 19th centuries, members of the Höffel family founded businesses in the neighboring towns of Mühlhausen and Darmstadt. During this time, many people with the surname Höffel also emigrated to the United States, with the majority of these individuals settling in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Today, the Höffel family can be found in Germany, the United States and many other countries around the world. The name had a huge impact on German history and is still important today. The Höffel family is an example of the huge impact that families have on the culture and history of a nation.
Order DNA origin analysisHöffel: Where does the name Höffel come from?
The Höffel surname is mostly found in Germany today, specifically around Bavaria. The earliest documentation of this surname was in the small village of Eggolsheim, which is located in the Franconia region of Bavaria. Around the early 18th century, the various forms of the name started to spread outward from Franconia into the surrounding states.
In modern times, Höffel is still a relatively common German surname. It is estimated that about 5,000 individuals in Germany carry the surname today, making it the 629th most common surname in the country. It is especially concentrated in southwest Germany, with the states of Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg accounting for a combined 84 percent of Höffel name holders.
As with many German surnames of the time, variants of the Höffel surname — such as Hoffel, Hoffele, Hoffelein, Höffele, Höffeler, Heffel, Heffele and Heffeler — can be found throughout German-speaking countries today and even abroad among German immigrants. Regardless of the spelling, individuals bearing the Höffel name are descended from the same ancestor from 16th century Bavaria.
Variations of the surname Höffel
The surname Höffel is believed to have originated from the German language and has a variety of spelling variants and surnames of the same origin. More specifically, it is an occupational name that was used to denote someone employed in an administrative office.
The variants of the original spelling “Höffel” include “Hoeffel,” “Hoffel,” “Höffle,” “Hoefel” and “Hoefle.” These variants of the name all derive from the German base, “Hof,” which means “court.” As such, many spellings of the name are a reference to the court of a local feudal lord or the government office where the ancestor worked.
Some of the surnames of the same origin are “Hoffmann,” “Hoff,” “Hofstetter,” “Hoffmaster” and “Hoffmeier.” Similar to the spelling variants of the original surname, these surnames are also derived from the German word “Hof.” “Hoffmann” is related to “Hofmann,” which means “court man,” and “Hoff” is a variant of the word “Höffel” itself. “Hofstetter” is derived from “Hofstätter,” which means “a person living at the court,” and “Hoffmaster” and “Hoffmeier” were typically given as occupational titles to people who worked within the royal court or government offices.
Famous people with the name Höffel
- Dirk Höffel (German footballer)
- Jannes Höffel (German footballer)
- Bruno Höffel (German politician)
- Judith Höffel (German actress)
- Claudia Höffel (German television presenter)
- Robert Höffel (German football coach and goalkeeper)
- Walter Höffel (German physicist)
- Christian Höffel (Swiss politician)
- Andreas Höffel (German artist)
- Stefan Höffel (German freestyle skier)