Surname Vanderhoof - Meaning and Origin
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Vanderhoof: What does the surname Vanderhoof mean?
Vanderhoof is a Dutch surname that means "from the hoof". It is a toponymic surname, meaning it refers to a geographic location. This suggests that the ancestors of the Vanderhoof family initially lived in a place known as 'Hoof' in The Netherlands or Belgium. In Dutch, the term “Van” means “from” and “der” is equivalent to “the”. Hence, 'Van Der Hoof' essentially means 'from the hoof'. Surnames were often used to help distinguish people living in close proximity who may have had the same first name. They were not widely used until the 11th century and mostly generated from four principal sources; nicknames, location or occupation, patronymic and estate names. However, the exact geographical or topographical significance of 'hoof' in this context is unclear.
Order DNA origin analysisVanderhoof: Where does the name Vanderhoof come from?
The last name Vanderhoof is a Dutch-American name found primarily in the United States. The surname is mainly found in the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern regions of the country. According to the US Census Bureau in 2000, the surname Vanderhoof was the 1,924th most common name in the United States.
The highest concentrations of people with this surname were found in Maryland, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Maryland and Michigan appeared to have the highest population of Vanderhoofs, with 2,058 and 2,071 reported living in the state respectively. The states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin each had around 600 people with the Vanderhoof surname, while other states, such as Connecticut, New York, and Ohio, all had around 300 reported Vanderhoofs living inside their borders.
Outside of the United States, the surname is quite rare. The Netherlands had the highest population of Vanderhoofs outside of the US, with only 57 people reported having the surname. Canada followed with 25 reported Vanderhoofs, while Australia had 18. There were also scattered individuals with the surname living in Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, and other countries.
Today, the Vanderhoof surname continues to be primarily concentrated in the United States. While the surname may still be found scattered around the globe, the majority of those people with the Vanderhoof name live in America.
Variations of the surname Vanderhoof
The Vanderhoof surname is derived from a place name of Dutch origin. The spelling variations of the name Vanderhoof include Van der Hoef, Van der Hoove, Vander Hoef, Vander Hoeff, Vander Hoof, Vanderhoef, VanderHoev, Vanderhuva, Vanderhuve, Van der Hoeve and Vanderhoeve.
The surnames Vanderhoef, VanderHoev and Vanderhoof are derived from the Dutch personal name Hendrick, which is composed of the elements heim, meaning “home” and ric, meaning “power”. It is believed that the Vanderhoef variant was derived from a dialect of Dutch in which the letter “r” is dropped from words ending in “-errof”. In some cases, Vanderhoeve may have been derived from “Vanderhove”, a name believed to be from the Flemish region of Holland.
The variant forms of the surname Vanderhoof are commonly found throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and other European countries, as well as in North America. The variant forms can also be found in North America, with the spelling of “Vanderhoof” being most commonly used in the United States.
The family of Vanderhoof's have been in North America since the 1600s. The earliest known New World record is of Jan Claesen Vanderhoof who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1658. Other records include William Vanderhoef, who arrived in New York in 1664, and Willem Van Der Hoeve, who arrived in New Netherland in 1688. Over the years, many of these families have spread across the country, leaving behind descendants with surnames such as Vanderhoef, VanderHoev, Van der Hoeve, and Vanderhoeve. With so many variants to the name Vanderhoof, it is likely that many more descendants of this family can be found throughout the US and Canada.
Famous people with the name Vanderhoof
- Jordan Vanderhoof: US rhythmic gymnast and television presenter.
- Don Vanderhoof: Former professional baseball player.
- Liz Vanderhoof: American environmental artist and author.
- Peter Vanderhoof: American artist and illustrator.
- Robert Vanderhoof: American attorney and former US Congressman.
- Boris Vanderhoof: British actor.
- Jenna Vanderhoof: American journalist and television presenter.
- Marit Vanderhoof: Norwegian Olympic cross-country skier.
- Rick Vanderhoof: Banker and American professional tennis player.
- Donnalyn Vanderhoof: American actress and television personality.
- Octavio Vanderhoof: Mexican singer-songwriter.