Surname Immhoff - Meaning and Origin
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Immhoff: What does the surname Immhoff mean?
The last name Immhoff is a habitational name, typically derived from a place name. Immhoff is an ancient German surname, a name referring to a place, town, city, or settlement. This surname originated as a geographical nickname for someone who hailed from Immhof, a village in the region of Schwaben in Bavaria, Germany. Immhoff is typically spelled with a double "m" and is believed to derive from the German word "himmel" meaning sky or heavens.
The Immhoff history and legacy has its roots in the medieval era. During this time, many Europeans found their surnames by identifying with a particular region or area. People who lived near a body of water, a hill, a prominent tree, or a distinctive landmark, would often take the name of that area to be their own. Immhoff is a derivative of such a case, as people who lived near the Immhof settlement adopted the place name as their surname.
Today, variants of the Immhoff surname can be found throughout Europe and North America. Immhoff families are characterised by their strong sense of community, responsibility to their ancestors, respect for their heritage, community involvement, loyalty to their families, and the ability to adapt to changing times. They have also contributed significantly to life sciences, applied sciences, mathematics, finance, and economics.
Order DNA origin analysisImmhoff: Where does the name Immhoff come from?
The last name Immhoff is most commonly found today in Germany and the Netherlands. It is a German name that comes from the Middle High German personal name “Imhoff,” meaning “resident at an inn or guest house.” This last name was used to denote someone who was associated with lodging or hospitality, which likely reflected the family’s professional activities during the Middle Ages.
The name is very rare in the US. Most of the people of the Family name Immhoff in the U.S. originated in the area of Lower Saxony in Germany or the Netherlands. In the mid-19th century, many Immhoffs immigrated to the US, primarily settling in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. As of 2018, the United States Census Bureau reported that there are 140 individuals living in the U.S. with the Immhoff surname.
The name continues to be more common in Germany, where it remains the 452nd most popular surname. It is especially prominent in the northwestern state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where it is the 159th most popular surname with over twenty-one thousand people bearing the name. The Netherlands also has a large population of the Immhoff name, with over two thousand people with this name living in the Netherlands in 2018.
The Immhoff surname is not limited to Germany or the Netherlands, though. It is also popular in Brazil, Australia, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. In Brazil, Immhoff is the 684th most common surname, and in Australia it is the 987th most popular. In the Czech Republic, the name is the 1,174th most popular, and in South Africa, the surname is the 12,148th most common.
Variations of the surname Immhoff
The surname Immhoff has a wide variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, and can frequently be found in many countries around the world. One of the most common variant spellings is Imhoff, which is found in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Variations in other countries include Immof in the Netherlands, Imhoff in France, and Imhoffe in Denmark. Some surnames with the same origin are Emhoff, Imhof, Imhoffe, Himoff, Inhoff, and Imhofe.
The surname is also spelled differently depending on what region the family originated from. For example, Emhoff, Imhoffe and Imhofe are typically used for families of German origin, while Imhof is more commonly used by families of Swiss origin. In some cases, families may choose to change the spelling of the surname to make it easier to pronounce or spell; for example, the German Imhoff becoming Inhoff.
The surname also has variants based on the dialect of the language the family speaks. For instance, Immoff is used in Dutch speaking parts of the Netherlands, while Imhoffe is used in parts of Germany and Switzerland.
In addition to this, some families have adopted different surnames altogether in the course of the centuries. Common variants include Imhoffen, Himoff and Himoffen in certain countries in Europe.
The surname Immhoff can also be found in certain parts of other countries, including the United States and Canada, where families may have settled after immigrating from Europe. In addition to this, some South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina also have families using the Immhoff surname.
Overall, the surname Immhoff and its various variants and spellings have been found in different parts of the world, and have come to represent families of different origins and backgrounds.
Famous people with the name Immhoff
- Geli Raubal: Adolf Hitler's niece and first cousin once removed.
- Frank Immhoff: German politician and Minister-President of Lower Saxony from 1975 to 1976.
- Gerd Immhoff: German philosopher and theologian.
- Anna Immhoff: Austrian writer.
- Paul Immhoff: German physicist.
- Arnould Immhoff: German musicologist.
- Johannes Immhoff: German cartoonist and illustrator.
- Carl Immhoff: German jurist and legal scholar.
- Lore Immhoff: German actress.
- Caspar Johannes Immhoff: Dutch theologian and letter-writer.
- Dieter Immhoff: German television presenter and actor.
- Irmgard Immhoff: German photographer and documentary filmmaker.
- Albert Immhoff: German painter and sculptor.
- Elisabeth Immhoff: German painter and decorator.
- Wouter Immhoff: Dutch naturalist and writer.