NameCensus.

UK surname

Hoffman

A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived on a farm or worked as a farmer.

In the 1881 census there were 635 people recorded with the Hoffman surname, ranking it #5,588 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,536, ranked #4,028, up from #5,588 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Barnet and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hoffman is 1,536 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.9%.

1881 census count

635

Ranked #5,588

Modern count

1,536

2016, ranked #4,028

Peak year

2016

1,536 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hoffman had 635 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,588 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,536 in 2016, ranked #4,028.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,013 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hoffman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hoffman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hoffman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hoffman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 170 #11,780
1861 historical 243 #10,116
1881 historical 635 #5,588
1891 historical 729 #5,434
1901 historical 944 #4,958
1911 historical 1,013 #4,496
1997 modern 1,361 #4,230
1998 modern 1,392 #4,297
1999 modern 1,423 #4,242
2000 modern 1,389 #4,314
2001 modern 1,360 #4,300
2002 modern 1,397 #4,303
2003 modern 1,376 #4,280
2004 modern 1,350 #4,353
2005 modern 1,402 #4,183
2006 modern 1,395 #4,206
2007 modern 1,420 #4,184
2008 modern 1,425 #4,205
2009 modern 1,464 #4,192
2010 modern 1,535 #4,124
2011 modern 1,506 #4,144
2012 modern 1,498 #4,091
2013 modern 1,512 #4,134
2014 modern 1,528 #4,111
2015 modern 1,520 #4,089
2016 modern 1,536 #4,028

Geography

Back to top

Where Hoffmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Barnet and Blaenau Gwent. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 001 Hackney
2 Hackney 003 Hackney
3 Barnet 037 Barnet
4 Hackney 008 Hackney
5 Blaenau Gwent 002 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hoffman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hoffman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hoffman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hoffman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Hoffman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hoffman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hoffman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hoffman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hoffman falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hoffman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hoffman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hoffman

The surname Hoffman is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "hof," meaning a courtyard or a farm, and the suffix "-mann," meaning a man or a person. The name Hoffman essentially translates to "a man from the courtyard" or "a farmer."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hoffman can be found in various medieval German documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, where it was often associated with landowners, farmers, and those who worked on agricultural estates.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Hoffman was Johannes Hoffman, a German scholar and humanist who lived from 1519 to 1566. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and played a significant role in the development of education in Germany.

Another notable Hoffman was the German philosopher and writer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, who lived from 1776 to 1822. He is best known for his fictional works, including the famous novella "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," which inspired the beloved ballet "The Nutcracker."

In the realm of science, August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818-1892) was a renowned German chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry. He is credited with establishing the principles of modern chemical nomenclature and promoting the widespread use of structural formulas.

Moving into the arts, the name Hoffman is associated with the American painter Hans Hofmann (1880-1966), who was a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism and had a profound influence on the development of modern art in the United States.

Lastly, the surname Hoffman has also been prominent in the field of sports, with names like Trevor Hoffman (born 1967), a former professional baseball player and one of the most accomplished relief pitchers in Major League Baseball history.

Throughout its long history, the surname Hoffman has been spelled in various ways, including Hofmann, Hoffmann, and Hofman, reflecting regional variations and spelling preferences over time. These different spellings all share the same etymological roots and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hoffman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hoffman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 241 Hoffmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.87x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 241 3.87x
Lancashire 65 0.88x
Yorkshire 44 0.71x
Surrey 43 1.42x
Durham 27 1.46x
Essex 24 1.95x
Hampshire 21 1.65x
Warwickshire 19 1.21x
Brecknockshire 16 12.86x
Nottinghamshire 16 1.91x
Cheshire 14 1.02x
Northumberland 12 1.30x
Kent 11 0.52x
Hertfordshire 10 2.33x
Leicestershire 9 1.30x
Sussex 9 0.86x
Channel Islands 8 4.34x
Berkshire 6 1.28x
Monmouthshire 6 1.33x
Somerset 6 0.60x
Herefordshire 5 1.96x
Midlothian 5 0.60x
Lincolnshire 4 0.40x
Bedfordshire 2 0.62x
Derbyshire 2 0.21x
Ayrshire 1 0.21x
Banffshire 1 0.77x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.27x
Cardiganshire 1 0.66x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.38x
Fife 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.09x
Morayshire 1 1.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.51x
Renfrewshire 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 1.35x
Suffolk 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 35 Hoffmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.42x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 35 26.42x
Islington London 31 5.14x
West Ham 21 7.74x
St George In East London 19 32.46x
Shoreditch London 17 6.30x
Llanelly 15 100.74x
Bethnal Green London 14 5.18x
Warwick St Nicholas 14 121.63x
Sheffield 12 6.11x
Manchester 11 3.31x
St Luke London 11 11.02x
Mile End New Town London 10 81.30x
Southampton St Mary 10 12.47x
Ashby De La Zouch 9 56.29x
Lambeth 9 1.66x
Ratcliffe London 9 26.19x
St Anne Soho London 9 25.32x
Westgate 9 15.70x
Altrincham 8 33.33x
Bishopwearmouth 8 5.03x
Manningham 8 10.53x
Spitalfields London 8 17.09x
St Helier 8 13.32x
Wandsworth 8 13.35x
West Auckland 8 118.17x
Bedford 7 45.31x
Cheetham 7 12.71x
Hackney London 7 2.01x
Hammersmith London 7 4.57x
Kirkham 7 71.72x
Nottingham St Peter 7 74.87x
Sculcoates 7 7.16x
Hitchin 6 30.99x
Kensington London 6 1.73x
Newington 6 2.61x
Reading St Lawrence 6 60.06x
St Pancras London 6 1.20x
Trevethin 6 14.12x
Weston Super Mare 6 23.72x
Bermondsey 5 2.70x
Eardisley 5 271.74x
Gateshead 5 3.61x
Holy Trinity 5 3.37x
Hougham 5 39.59x
Liverpool 5 1.11x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.30x
Poplar London 5 4.26x
Richmond 5 11.77x
Whitechapel London 5 8.15x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 7.20x
Blackburn 4 2.04x
Bow London 4 5.05x
Brading 4 23.60x
Chipping Barnet 4 53.33x
Great Grimsby 4 6.33x
Hastings St Mary 4 15.32x
Leeds 4 1.15x
Limehouse London 4 5.85x
Rumworth 4 37.91x
St George Bloomsbury 4 11.20x
St George Hanover Square 4 3.65x
West Derby 4 1.85x
Westminster St John 4 5.28x
Aston 3 0.69x
Basingstoke 3 20.45x
Birkenhead 3 2.74x
Broughton In Salford 3 4.44x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.04x
Deptford St Paul 3 1.83x
Eccleshill 3 19.99x
Hulme 3 1.95x
Lenton 3 15.18x
Leyton 3 14.18x
Newton 3 5.27x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.40x
Westminster St Margaret 3 9.99x
Bromley London 2 1.46x
Caterham 2 14.93x
Farnborough 2 14.93x
Hendon 2 8.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hoffman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 23
Alice 12
Annie 11
Ann 9
Emma 9
Eliza 8
Jane 8
Emily 7
Margaret 7
Rose 5
Sarah 5
Ada 4
Bertha 4
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Hannah 4
Anna 3
Betsy 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Laura 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Sophia 3
Agnas 2
Eliz. 2
Fanny 2
Georgia 2
Harriett 2
Hester 2
L. 2
Leah 2
Margarett 2
Marie 2
Minnie 2
Rachel 2
Susanna 2
Amalia 1
Augusta 1
Elinora 1
Elisa 1
Winfred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hoffman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 33
William 23
Charles 20
George 20
Henry 15
Albert 9
Jacob 9
Alfred 7
James 7
Herbert 6
Thomas 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Peter 5
Frank 4
Fredk. 4
Conrad 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Herman 3
Samuel 3
Abraham 2
August 2
Christian 2
Edwin 2
Emil 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Julius 2
Lewis 2
Louis 2
Martin 2
Morris 2
Philip 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Bernard 1
C.L. 1
Daniel 1
Davis 1
Denis 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwd. 1
Gerhard 1
Germand 1
Gottlieb 1

FAQ

Hoffman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hoffman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 635 people were recorded with the Hoffman surname. That placed it at #5,588 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hoffman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,536 in 2016. That gives Hoffman a modern rank of #4,028.

What does the Hoffman surname mean?

A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived on a farm or worked as a farmer.

What does the Hoffman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hoffman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.