Surname Mayerhoffer - Meaning and Origin
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Mayerhoffer: What does the surname Mayerhoffer mean?
The surname Mayerhoffer is of German origin. It is an occupational surname, derived from a person who was an officer or steward of a mayor or magistrate. The surname is assumed to come from two words – mayer, which means mayor or magistrate, and hoffer, which is derived from the Old German word Hoffer, meaning officer or steward. Thus, Mayerhoffer can be loosely translated to mean "mayor's officer" or "magistrate's steward".
The surname can be found throughout Germany and it has a long history in Europe, going back hundreds of years. Variations of the name include Maierhofer, Maierhoffer, Mayerhofer and Mayerhoffer, among others. In the United States, the surname is not as common, however, it can still be found in most major cities.
Mayerhoffer is most likely an hereditary surname, meaning that it was passed down from generation to generation throughout the years. It is also possible that the name was adopted by a non-German family. In either case, it is likely that its origins lie in Germany and would have referred to a magistrate's steward or officer.
Order DNA origin analysisMayerhoffer: Where does the name Mayerhoffer come from?
The last name Mayerhoffer is most common today in Germany. According to the National Institute of Statistics, it is the 1,914th most common last name in Germany as of 2020.
The Mayerhoffer surname is believed to have originated with a Bavarian family that lived along the upper Main River. In some cases, with its variant spellings "Meierhoefer" and "Meierhoffer," the name is derived from their occupation as meyer or Meier, which comes from the Old Germanic 'maier' and means an officer, magistrate or judge.
The frequency of occurrence of Mayerhoffer is highest in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where it is 45th most common name. It is also common in Bavaria, where it is 47th most common. Outside of Germany, Mayerhoffer is not a particularly common last name in any other countries, although there are a few scattered cases of people bearing this surname reported in the US, the UK, and other countries with a considerable European expatriate population.
In terms of distribution, the Mayerhoffer surname is mostly concentrated in the northern part of Germany, along the Rhine River, whereas it is quite rare in southern Germany due to translation to other dialects as well as migration away from the northern areas over the centuries.
Variations of the surname Mayerhoffer
The surname Mayerhoffer can vary in many different ways. All versions of the name come from the occupational name Meierhof, which can be broken down into two words: Meier meaning “farmer” and Hof, meaning “farm.”
The most common spelling for the name Mayerhoffer is Mayerhofer. This is the German spelling as “hofer” comes from the German word “höfer” meaning “farmer”. This is an example of a patronymic surname, where the name is passed on from father to son.
Other variants of the name include Mayrhofer, Meyerhofer, Meijerhoffer, Meierhoffer, Meierhofer, Meijerhofer, and Meijerhof. In addition, surnames such as Mairhof, Maiershoven, Meierhahn, and Mayerling are derived from the same occupational name. It is also possible to find Mayerhoffer spelled as Maierhofer or Mejerhof, as well as other variations.
Various spellings of the name will often vary by country and region. In addition, the name can be found in variations such as Májerheffer, Máyerheffer, and Masserhofer. Similarly, other forms of the name include Maurerhofer, Maurerhoffer, and Meyerhoffer.
The Mayerhoffer surname can also be found in many different forms in other countries. One example is the French surname Mairhof, which is closely related to the German form of the name. In the Netherlands, the surname takes the form of Loterhof or Lootsman, while in the United States the surname is most often found as Millerhoffer.
In conclusion, it is evident that the surname Mayerhoffer has a plethora of suggested spellings and variations which can be found both in Germany and abroad.
Famous people with the name Mayerhoffer
- Brooke Mayerhoffer: Professional model and actress
- Jonathan Mayerhoffer: Software engineer
- Louis Mayerhoffer: American Painter
- Joseph Mayerhoffer: Actor
- Patrice Mayerhoffer: French Singer
- Adrian Mayerhoffer: Music producer
- Carl Mayerhoffer: Actor
- Robert Mayerhoffer: Actor
- Mary Mayerhoffer: Sculptor
- Ethan Mayerhoffer: Instagram influencer and speaker