Surname Höferth - Meaning and Origin

Höferth: What does the surname Höferth mean?

The last name Höferth has German origins, with the prefix ‘Höf’ possibly indicating a connection to court service, or perhaps even to a farming family with vineyards. In Germany, this name is commonly found in the area close to the Czech border where Palatine German was the primary language. The ‘erth’ part of the name likely originates from the German root word ‘erde’, meaning earth or land, which could indicate that the origin of the family was related to land holdings.

The Höferth family could be traced back several hundreds of years in many areas of central and eastern Europe where this surname was found, indicating the family was likely well-established in the region during its time. It was an occupational surname derived from the term ‘hofer’ (or ‘hoffer’ in the Netherlands), referring to a person responsible for a large estate, such as a vineyard, where vineyard-keeper would be an appropriate translation in German.

While it’s impossible to know exactly what the original meaning of the name was, it appears that it could have related to farming or estate management, possibly from a vineyard. This family name still remains in Europe, especially in Germany, and could be found among families who migrated to other countries, such as the United States.

Höferth: Where does the name Höferth come from?

The last name Höferth is most commonly found today in Germany and Austria.

In Germany, according to Ancestry.com, the Höferth family can be found mainly in Bavaria, although there are smaller concentrations in other states, such as Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. It is also possible to find this surname in many parts of eastern and northern Germany.

In Austria, the Höferth family primarily occurs in the states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Vienna. It is also possible to come across this last name in South Tyrol in Italy.

Research suggests that the Höferth family originated in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria. This is the same area where the closely related last names Höfferth, Hofferth, Hammerth, Hasererth, Zehrerth, and Denkererth are also from. All of these names are derived from the same Proto-Germanic root, meaning someone who was well-off and at the top of the social hierarchy.

In modern times, it is quite easy to find individuals who bear the last name Höferth or other related names, especially if one is located in Germany, Austria, or Italy.

Variations of the surname Höferth

The various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Höferth include:

Höfert, Höffen, Hoeferth, Hoefert, Hoefner, Hoffer, Hofert, Hofner, Hofter, Hoffert, Hoffherr, Hofher, Höfer, Hofer, Höfner, Hofferth, Hofnerth, Hoffarth, Hofferdt, Hofnerd, Hoffart, Hoffarth, Hofferd, Hofford, and Hoffert.

The surname Höferth is of German origin and most common in areas of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Historically, the Höferth surname would have been used by a person who either lived in a house with a sign of deer onto it or shaped like the head of a deer. During the Middle Ages, many families would put the sign on their homes to signify their family name or occupation.

The surname can also be a shortened form of another longer German surname such as Hofferth, Hoefnerth, Hofnerth and Hofferdt. For example, the German ‘Hofferdt’ may be translated to mean “dweller at the sign of a deer”.

Haerter and Hefter are also surnames believed to have derived from the same root as Höferth. These two surnames most likely originated from the German words ‘haer’ which translates to “dwelling” and ‘heft’ which translates to “shield”.

In conclusion, the various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Höferth are quite vast and can be quite difficult to identify due to the long list of similar sounding names sharing a common root which most likely originated from a Middle Age German word.

Famous people with the name Höferth

• Claus Höferth: a German actor, best known for his roles in the movies Pushing Daisies, Bean and Blade Runner 2049.
• Amelia Höferth: a German figure skater and biathlete who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1956.
• Bernd Höferth: a German former professional racing cyclist, winner of the 1969 Tour de Suisse.
• Lothar Höferth: a German retired footballer and current manager, who played mainly for German clubs including Bayern Munich and highlighted clubs like the Spanish giant Real Madrid.
• Michael Höferth: A retired Austrian footballer known for his success during his time with Rapid Wien.
• Günter Höferth: A former German football player and manager, he was the first professional trainer to take charge of the German national team.
• Eva Höferth: a German academic, biologist and director of the Gesellschaft für Strahlen- und Umweltforschung in Munich.
• Rudolf Höferth: a German academic and professor of experimental physics at the Technical University of Munich.
• Franz Höferth: a German historian and professor of medieval history at the University of Konstanz.
• Frank Höferth: a German accessor, composer and filmmaker, best known for his work on The Neverending Story and Howard The Duck.

Other surnames

HofertHöfert