Hoefler

Hoefler is a surname of German origin, a variant of Hofer. The name Hofer itself is an occupational surname for a farmer, derived from Middle High German hof for a farmstead or court (from Old High German hof "yard, court"). Thus, Hoefler ultimately belonged to someone who lived or worked on a farm or at a noble's court. The spelling Hoefler reflects the umlauted vowel ö of related forms like Höfler, simplified to oe in certain orthographic conventions. In Dutch, the cognate Van Hoof carries a related meaning (“from the farm”). According to data from the 2010 United States Census, Hoefler is the 21,686th most common surname in the country, with 1,201 bearers. It is overwhelmingly found among White individuals (94.67%). The surname is also present in Germany and other German-speaking regions, though distribution data there is less readily available. Notable current or historical individuals with the surname include the American typographer Jonathan Hoefler, co-founder of the Hoefler&Co. type foundry.

• Meaning: Variant of Hofer, an occupational name for a farmer or courtier
• Origin: German
• Root: German Hof (“farm, court”)
• Type: Surname
• Usage regions: German-speaking countries, United States