Hofer
A German surname meaning someone connected with a farm, estate, or yard.
The #4,617 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,191 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hofer is built from German Hof, meaning a farm, yard, estate, or manor. In surname use it usually referred to a person living at, working on, or owning a Hof, and some older sources gloss it as a landholder or manor lord. It is also a common Germanic name type found in compounds and related forms such as Hoff, Hofmann, and similar bynames.
History
The surname appears widely in German-speaking areas, especially in the south and Alpine regions, where Hof-based surnames are common. Some 19th-century writers also noted Dutch and Swiss-related forms, showing that the name type spread across several Germanic-speaking regions. In modern usage, Hofer is especially familiar in Austria, southern Germany, and Switzerland.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes connect Hofer with the rural estate term Hof and treat it as part of a whole family of farm-related names, alongside Hofmann and Hoff.
From the historical record
“HOF, van 't (J^.), of the Court ov Garden. -^ HOFER ((©.)' Hufner, Possessor of a hide of land, or Hofherr, Courtier, Landlord, Lord of the manor. In the Tyrol, " hofer " signifies huchster. HOFF, von ((©.), of Court, Yard, Manor, or Farm. Hoffman von Hoffmansegg, Courtier of Courtier's corner. Hofzuma- HAUS, Court…”
— Surnames