Surname Schoff - Meaning and Origin
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Schoff: What does the surname Schoff mean?
The last name Schoff is a German surname derived from the word "Schof", which translates to "house, hut, or shelter". The name originated during the Middle Ages and one of its earliest recordings was from the Dutch town of Schoff, which dates back to 1327.
The earliest mentions of the name Schoff can be found as far back as the 13th century in various German records. For example, one mention of a Schoff family can be found in the town of Overijssel, located south of Amsterdam in 1279. The earliest recorded mentions of the Schoff surname in the United States trace back to the 1700s.
Given its roots, the name Schoff is thought to indicate that the original bearer of the name likely came from modest means. It is believed that those who bore the Schoff surname probably originally worked as menial laborers, such as bakersor wheelwrights.
Today, the primary countries which possess the majority of Schoff households include Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and Denmark. As for the United States specifically, for the past few decades, the highest concentrations of the Schoff surname are located in Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan.
Order DNA origin analysisSchoff: Where does the name Schoff come from?
The last name Schoff is common mainly in the United States. According to the last census from 2020, Schoff was the 7,787th most common surname in the country. Although it is most associated with the US, Schoff is also present in other countries such as Canada, England, Scotland, and Australia.
The Schoff family name is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in northern Germany. Different branches of the Schoff family have roots in varied areas including Bavaria, Prussia, and Saxony. The earliest Schoff ancestors settled in the US during the early 1700s, mostly in the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Over time, the name has spread throughout the nation, and there are now Schoff families living in different states across the United States.
The Schoff surname is a derivative of the German word ‘Schoppe’ which means ‘helper’ or ‘servant’. This surname is associated with various trades and professions. It could have led to those involved in baking, tailoring, and shoemaking taking on the name Schoff. It is possible, however, that the name Schoff simply meant those who had been hired to help on a farm as agricultural laborers.
Today, those with the Schoff last name are scattered throughout the world. In the US, those with this last name tend to be concentrated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Texas.
Variations of the surname Schoff
The surname Schoff is of German origin and derived from the Middle High German word ‘scoff’, meaning ‘to talk’ or ‘to chide’. This surname can be spelled in various different ways—sometimes with one ‘f’, two ‘f’s, or two ‘f’s and an ‘h’.
Common variants for this surname are Schoff, Shoff, Schof, Schoffe, Schoffer, Schoffel, Shof, Schoffhaueser and Schoffhaus.
This surname has also been known by various other spellings such as Scoff, Scof, Scoffe, Scoffer, Scoffel, Skoff, Skof, Skoffer, Skoffel, Schaf and Shaffe.
Common surnames with the same origin are Schoffart, Schofield, Scholl, Shaughnessy, Shaul, Shaver, Shea and Skeffington.
The Schoff surname is found most commonly in modern Germany, although it is also present in other countries such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil.
It is also worth noting that Schoff is sometimes used as a given name. This surname has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years as part of the ‘rock and roll’ trend.
Famous people with the name Schoff
- Bruce Schoff: An American politician who represented the 5th District of Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995.
- Shaun Schoff: An American mixed-martial artist who has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator, and others.
- Mary Schoff: An American folk artist who created works out of cloth and found materials.
- Peter Schoff: A former American football player who played college football for the University of Michigan.
- Joe Schoff: An American NASCAR driver and owner.
- Wilbur Schoff: An American geologist and paleobotanist who worked on dinosaur fossils.
- Daisy Schoff: An American television and film actress, best known for her recurring roles in the television series The Nanny and Show Ladies.
- Richard Schoff: An American astronomer and astrophysicist based at Princeton University.
- Richard Schoff Jr.: An American racecar driver who participated in the Indianapolis 500 and the American Le Mans Series.
- Edward Schoff: An American actor and television presenter, active in the 1950s and 1960s.