Surname Höfener - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Höfener: What does the surname Höfener mean?
The last name Höfener is of German origin and has multiple meanings. It can be translated to mean “the onion farmer” and indicate that the original bearer of the name cultivated onions or lived near onion fields. Alternatively, the name can refer to a “head of a household” and suggest that the person was the leader of a family or estate. This interpretation is consistent with places named “Höfen,” which were small rural settlements in past centuries.
Throughout the centuries, various iterations of the name have included Höffen, Hövener, and Höffner, and the surname has become international with many people bearing the name now living throughout Europe and the United States. Records of the name in Germany date back to as early as 1582, when the name is associated with the Palatinate region. This suggests that the name has been around for centuries and is associated with a rural, agrarian lifestyle.
Today, the Höfener name is associated with a proud heritage and a connection to the land. The name holds a rich history and is a reminder of past generations who helped protect and shape communities from the Palatinate region to wherever modern-day families have settled.
Order DNA origin analysisHöfener: Where does the name Höfener come from?
The last name Höfener is most common today in Germany, but can also be found in other parts of Europe, particularly the Netherlands, where it is spelled “Hoefener.” It is likely derived from Middle Low German, where the prefix “höf” meant “courtyard” or “court.” Thus, the name Höfener likely refers to someone who originally had a connection to a courtyard or court.
The name is not particularly common, with a small but steady presence in Germany today. In most recent years, it has been the 4,842nd most common name in Germany, with about 7, 250 people bearing the name in 2009. This has remained nearly steady. The name can be found scattered across all of Germany, but is particularly common in the West.
The name can also be found elsewhere in Europe. In the Netherlands, it is often spelled “Hoefener.” This reflects the Dutch language, where replacing f with an originally double-vowel "ö" is common. The name is found across the Netherlands, but is particularly concentrated in the eastern parts of the country.
The name Höfener is also found in the United States. A number of people with the name immigrated to the US during the 19th and 20th centuries and, today, it is possible to find the Höfener name scattered across the US, from Illinois to California.
Variations of the surname Höfener
The surname Höfener has a number of variants, spellings, and alternate surnames of the same origin.
One of the most common variants is Höffner, which was likely derived from a slight misspelling of the original name. Other misspellings, which are slightly less common, include Hafener, Heffner, Hoffener, and Hofener.
Variants featuring the letter “ö” have also been used over time, such as Öffner, Öfener, Hoffner, and Öhfener.
The surname has also been recorded with other variants, such as Hofman, Höfman, Hofmann, Hoffmann and Hoffman.
Other surnames that could be related to Höfener include Foerster, Forster, and Förster, which are all derived from the German word “Förster” meaning “gamekeeper.”
The name has also been recorded as variants of the prefixes “von” and “zu,” such as von Hoffer and zu Hoffer.
The surname can also take on hyphenated forms incorporating other surnames, such as Marthe-Höfener, Dahme-Höfener, and Wendel-Höfener.
Finally, additional spelling variations can include Hoeffner, Hofferning, Hoefen, Hoeffen, and Hoefner. These are all valid spellings of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Höfener
- Dimitri Höfener: German rugby union player.
- Meghan Höfener: Canadian actress and producer.
- Henning Höfener: German actor.
- Dirk Höfener: German film director and screenwriter.
- Mathias Höfener: German footballer.
- Sarah Höfener: German Curler.
- Bernard Höfener: German Olympic cyclist.
- Christoph Höfener: German actor and voice actor.
- Malte Höfener: German actor and director.
- Matthias Höfener: German Bishop.
- Petra Höfener: German Olympic cyclist.
- Uwe Höfener: German Paralympic cyclist.
- Marcus Höfener: German footballer.
- Wolfgang Höfener: German Olympic canoeist.
- Michael Höfener: German painter and sculptor.
- Hartmut Höfener: German Olympic sailor.
- Donatus Höfener: German Catholic theologian and professor.
- Maria Höfener: Austrian actress.
- Heinrich Höfener: German composer and teacher.
- Rolf Höfener: German race car driver.