Surname Dörhoff - Meaning and Origin

Dörhoff: What does the surname Dörhoff mean?

The last name Dörhoff is of German origin. It is an occupational surname that originated from a person of the same name who was in the butcher's trade. The name is derived from the German word "Dörr" which means "dry" or "smoked," and "Hof" which means "estate." It thus translates to "dry estate" or "smoked estate."

The oldest known recording of this name was found in 1237 in the city of Essen and it shows that the people of the Dörhoff family at that time were involved in the food industry. The earliest known recordings of the breeders of the family are from the year 1250 and show that they were mainly involved in animal husbandry.

The family is known to have had an estate in Paderborn and a matriarch in Soest. They were mainly farmers and raised cattle for meat. The family had a strong presence in the food industry, especially in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.

Today, the surname is still used in Germany, as well as in other countries in Europe. It is a common name in the Netherlands due to migration of people from Germany. It is not a particularly common surname though and there are not that many people who bear it.

Overall, the last name Dörhoff is of German origin and it is derived from the words “Dörr” and “Hof” which together mean "dry estate" or "smoked estate.” This originates from the family's involvement in the food industry. While the surname is not particularly common, it is still used in Germany and in other countries in Europe due to migration.

Dörhoff: Where does the name Dörhoff come from?

The surname Dörhoff is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the father's given name. The surname is mainly found in Germany, and is most common in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, particularly the Ruhr area. It is also present in other parts of German-speaking Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. The surname is also found in the United States, where it is believed to have been brought over by German immigrants in the 19th century. Within the US, the surname is most common in Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Illinois.

Due to its origin as a patronymic name, variants of the surname Dörhoff may exists in different areas. In Germany, for example, the name may be spelled Döring, Dirhage, Dørhoff, Dörhoff, Dorof, Doroff, Dorofe, Doringh, and many more. Likewise, in the United States, alternative spellings may be found.

It is also possible to trace the historical origin of the surname. According to old records in the region, the earliest known record of the name Dörhoff dates back to 1529 in Norddeutschland. The earliest known record of the name in the US is believed to be that of Johann Dörhoff in 1844, settling in Pennsylvania.

Overall, the surname Dörhoff is a fairly uncommon surname, especially outside of German-speaking countries. It is likely to be found most predominantly in the North Rhine-Westphalia region in Germany, as well as Pennsylvania, New York, and other states in the US that have a large population of Germanic descendants.

Variations of the surname Dörhoff

The Dörhoff surname is a German name with its origins in the northern part of Germany. It is spelt differently depending on the region from which it originates, and there are various variants of the name such as Döringe, Dürhoff and Döhring, all of which stem from the same origin.

In some areas of Germany, the Dörhoff surname is spelt as Döring. This variant of the name is thought to have originated from the word ‘dören’, which is an old German word meaning ‘door’ or ‘forest entrance’. It is believed that the family with the Döring surname had very strong links to the forest and were known for living close to the entrance of a forest.

Another variant of the same surname is Dürhoff, which is thought to have its origins in the word ‘Dur’, which is an old Dutch/Frisian word meaning ‘door’ or ‘wooden panel’. It is believed that the family with the Dürhoff surname had connections to wooden panels or doors.

The third variant of this surname is Döhring, which is thought to have derived from the word ‘dore’, an old German word meaning ‘wood’. It is thought that the family with the Döhring surname had a strong ties to the woodworking industry, or were associated with wood in some capacity.

Overall, the Dörhoff surname has many different spellings and variants, all of which derive from the same origin. Whether it is spelt Döhring or Döringe, all of these surnames share the same meaning and are connected to one another because of their common origin.

Famous people with the name Dörhoff

• Carl Döhring (1863-1952), German philosopher, historian and theologian
• Ernst Dörffler (1925-2019), German actor
• Bettina Döring (born 1960), German hurdler and motivational speaker
• Kordula Döring (born 1967), German politician
• Wolfgang Döring (born 1969), German former cyclist
• Peter Döhring (born 1976), German politician
• Stephan Dörhoff (born 1979), German football player
• Marc Dörhoff (born 1982), German photographer
• Anna Döring (born 1983), German actress
• Lena Döring (born 1991), German hurdler

Other surnames

Dörhöfer