The hoffmann Surname
hoffmann Name Meaning and History
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): status name for a steward on a
farm or estate, from German hof(f) ‘manorfarm’, ‘courtyard’ +
Mann ‘man’. Originally, this was a status name for a farmer who
owned his own land as opposed to holding it by rent or feudal
obligation, but the name soon came to denote the manager or steward of
a manor farm, in which sense it is extremely frequent throughout
central and eastern Europe; also among Jews, since many Jews held
managerial positions on non-Jewish estates. This name is
widespread throughout central and eastern Europe, not only in
German-speaking lands.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
Learn the meaning and history of your first name
Share this page with friends and family
Search for hoffmann records
More resources for your hoffmann family history
Hoffmann message board
Threads: 339 - Messages: 811
Start your FREE family tree. Who will you discover?
A family tree is the easiest way to start discovering your family history. To begin, just enter whatever you know and we'll use that to try and find more information for you.
Begin your family tree with your name:
The hoffmann name in History
A unique volume of fascinating facts, statistics and commentary following the hoffmann family name as far back in history as possible.
Member Connections
- Anonymously contact one of the Ancestry members researching the hoffmann last name.
- Search for Ancestry members researching one of your specific ancestors.
- Create or update your own Ancestry member profile so that other members can anonymously contact you.
More Tools and Resources
- Search Ancestry.com for all of your hoffmann ancestors.
- Create and publish your own family history book using Ancestry Press.
- Learn more about your family history using DNA Ancestry.
- Learn more about family history in the Ancestry Learning Center.
- Visit the Ancestry.com homepage.