Surname Althof - Meaning and Origin
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Althof: What does the surname Althof mean?
The last name Althof, which is of German origin, is derived from a combination of two German words - “alt”, meaning “old”, and “hof”, meaning “court”, “farm” or “manor”. Taken together, Althof could mean “old court/farm/manor”, suggesting that the family likely owned or worked on lands owned by a nobleman or someone of higher standing in society. Alternatively, Althof could also mean “old defender”, suggesting that individuals with this surname were known to be courageous protectors.
The earliest record of people bearing the surname Althof date back to the late Middle Ages, where several references to individuals named “Althoff” can be found. It is likely that this was the original form of the surname, from which the spelling Althof emerged in later generations. Many families with the surname Althof are still present in Germany today, but the name can also be found all over the world, including in the United States, Canada, Australia, and many other countries.
The coats of arms bearing the name Althof mostly consist of a silver background with a bear facing left in the center. Silver represents peace and serenity, while the bear is a symbol of strength and courage, hinting at the characteristics traditionally associated with this surname.
Order DNA origin analysisAlthof: Where does the name Althof come from?
The Althof surname is most commonly found in Germany, although it is also found in other countries of Europe. In Germany, the name is primarily concentrated in the states of Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt. In Brandenburg, for instance, Althof is the 462nd commonest surname.
Althof is also a fairly common surname in Austria, where it ranks as the 1126th most frequent surname. The surname appears to be most widespread in the states of Voralberg, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, and Tyrol, in that order.
In Switzerland, Althof is much less common but still ranked among the top 3,500 surnames. It is most common in the canton of Valais, ranking as 846th most frequent surname.
Althof is rare in the United States, but the surname is found in the state of Pennsylvania, where it ranks as the 16,535th commonest surname.
Overall, the surname Althof appears to be most widely found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at present.
Variations of the surname Althof
The surname Althof has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants include Althoff, Althoff, Alhoff, Althaus, Allthoft, Allthaus, Althausen, Allthausen, Allthoff, Alsales, Altens, Altus and Altmann.
The German surname Althof is derived from the old German word 'alt,' meaning 'ancient' or 'old,' and 'hof' meaning 'house' or 'farm.' This combination of words implies 'ancient house' or 'ancestral property.' Early records of this surname date back to 1253 when a Konrad Altova and Hauszmann Altova appear in the document of the town of Tonna, Germany.
The surname Althof is also found in the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries. In the Netherlands, Althof is spelled as Althuis and in Scandinavia, the spellings include Allthoff, Allthausen, Althausen, and Allthaus.
In the United States, immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia adopted several different spellings for the surname Althof. Some of these spellings include Altus, Alsales, Althoff, Allthof, Alteman and Altmann.
Over time, some variants of Althof changed slightly in spelling, but still retained the same meaning of an ancient or ancestral house. It is important to research different spellings of the Althof surname to determine the true origin and history of the family.
Famous people with the name Althof
- Jackie Althof: Former US Junior National Champion figure skater who also placed well in the European Championships.
- Bill Althof: Retired Major-league Baseball pitcher who went to two All-Star Games in his career.
- Johanna Althof: well-known German fashion designer.
- Heinrich Althof: German historian and political analyst.
- Josh Althof: Lead singer and chief songwriter of the punk rock band Strung Out.
- Marianne Althof: Award-winning author from Germany.
- Heinz Althof: Professional tennis player who competed in the 1950 and 1951 Wimbledon championships.
- Egon Althof: Award-winning German architect from Düsseldorf.
- Josef Althof: Artist from the Netherlands best known for his religious-themed woodcuts.
- Frederick Althof: Award-winning German operatic tenor.