NameCensus.

UK surname

Hofmann

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

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Hofmann surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary Whitechapel, London parishes and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Luton, Northumberland and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hofmann is 328 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1000.0%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

2010

328 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hofmann had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hofmann surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hofmann surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hofmann 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 6 #32,278
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 56 #29,638
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 269 #14,941
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 275 #14,540
2002 modern 286 #14,442
2003 modern 279 #14,506
2004 modern 290 #14,178
2005 modern 286 #14,242
2006 modern 300 #13,911
2007 modern 306 #13,862
2008 modern 307 #13,907
2009 modern 308 #14,161
2010 modern 328 #13,856
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 308 #14,482
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 307 #14,504
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Hofmanns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary Whitechapel, London parishes, Wakefield and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Luton, Northumberland, Kensington and Chelsea, Wakefield and Cornwall. 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 Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Luton 006 Luton
2 Northumberland 016 Northumberland
3 Kensington and Chelsea 012 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Wakefield 036 Wakefield
5 Cornwall 027 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hofmann

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hofmann

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hofmann, 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 Hofmann surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hofmann 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hofmann is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hofmann 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

Hofmann falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hofmann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Hofmann

The surname Hofmann is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words "hof" meaning "court" or "farm" and "mann" meaning "man." It likely originated in the medieval period as an occupational name for someone who worked on or managed a farm or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hofmann can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 12th century. The name Hofmann is also mentioned in various other German records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.

In some regions, the name Hofmann was derived from place names incorporating the word "hof," such as Hofheim or Hofstetten. These place names often referred to villages or settlements located near a farm or estate.

Notable individuals with the surname Hofmann throughout history include:

1. Caspar Hofmann (1572-1648), a German theologian and philosopher who contributed to the development of Protestant theology.

2. August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818-1892), a German chemist known for his pioneering work in organic chemistry and the development of the Hofmann rearrangement reaction.

3. Josef Hofmann (1876-1957), a Polish-American pianist and composer widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

4. Hans Hofmann (1880-1966), a German-American abstract expressionist painter and influential art teacher who played a pivotal role in the development of abstract expressionism in the United States.

5. Adolf Hofmann (1897-1967), a German military officer who served as a general in the Wehrmacht during World War II and was later convicted of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials.

The name Hofmann has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Hoffmann, Hofman, and Hofman, reflecting regional linguistic differences and changes in orthography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hofmann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hofmann 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 23 Hofmanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.13x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 8.13x
Lanarkshire 3 3.28x
Hampshire 1 1.73x
Lancashire 1 0.30x
Surrey 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitechapel London in Middlesex leads with 9 Hofmanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 322.58x.

Place Total Index
Whitechapel London 9 322.58x
Islington London 5 18.24x
St Anne Soho London 4 248.45x
Govan 3 13.26x
St Marylebone London 2 13.25x
Battersea 1 9.61x
Bridewell Precinct London 1 3333.33x
Hackney London 1 6.31x
Holdenhurst 1 65.79x
Liverpool 1 4.91x
Paddington London 1 9.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anna 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Lousia 1
M. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Tony 1
Wilhelm 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Aguste 1
Augustus 1
Charles 1
H. 1
Henry 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1

FAQ

Hofmann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hofmann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Hofmann surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hofmann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Hofmann a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Hofmann surname mean?

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

What does the Hofmann map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hofmann 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.