Hoffman

Not to be confused with Hoffmann, for other uses see Hoffman (disambiguation).

Hoffman is a surname of German origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward, i.e. one who manages the property of another". In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelled Hoffmann, Hofmann, Hofman, Huffman, Hofmans.

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 80.4% of all known bearers of the surname Hoffman (with this exact spelling) were residents of the United States (frequency 1:1,974), 5.2% of South Africa (1:4,554), 3.2% of Canada (1:5,085), 1.7% of Australia (1:6,023), 1.5% of Israel (1:2,568), 1.4% of Poland (1:12,097) and 1.0% of Brazil (1:87,324).

In the United States, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:1,974) in the following states:

1. South Dakota (1:645)
2. Pennsylvania (1:870)
3. North Dakota (1:1,011)
4. Nebraska (1:1,040)
5. Wisconsin (1:1,119)
6. Minnesota (1:1,143)
7. Iowa (1:1,192)
8. Alaska (1:1,249)
9. Nevada (1:1,304)
10. Kansas (1:1,359)
11. Wyoming (1:1,383)
12. Indiana (1:1,442)
13. Ohio (1:1,472)
14. Colorado (1:1,484)
15. Maryland (1:1,493)
16. Montana (1:1,537)
17. Illinois (1:1,585)
18. Oregon (1:1,677)
19. Missouri (1:1,682)
20. Delaware (1:1,702)
21. Michigan (1:1,709)
22. New Jersey (1:1,720)
23. Idaho (1:1,763)
24. Washington (1:1,912)
25. Arizona (1:1,917)
26. West Virginia (1:1,930)
27. New York (1:1,966)

People

A

• Aaron Hoffman (1880–1944), American writer, director and comedian
• Abbie Hoffman (1936–1989), social activist of prominence in the 1960s and 1970s
• Al Hoffman (1902–1960), Russian-born American songwriter
• Alan Hoffman (born 1982), American entrepreneur
• Albert Hofmann (1906-2008), Swiss chemist and discoverer of LSD
• Alex Hoffman-Ellis (born 1989), American football player
• Alice Hoffman (born 1952), American author
• Anthony Hoffman (1739–1790), New York politician
• Arthur Sullivant Hoffman (1876–1966), American magazine editor

B

• Barbara Hoffman (born 1931), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Beate Hofmann (born 1963), German lutheran bishop
• Ben Hoffman (born 1974), American comedian and writer
• Ben Hoffman (triathlete) (born 1983), American triathlete
• Bernard Hoffman (1913–1979), American photographer
• Biff Hoffman (1904–1954), American football player
• Bill Hoffman (disambiguation), multiple people

C

• Calvin Hoffman (died 1987), American theater press agent and writer
• Carl von Hoffman (1889–1982), adventurer
• Carl Henry Hoffman (1896–1980), Pennsylvania politician
• Charles Hoffman (1911–1972), American screenwriter and film producer
• Charles E. Hoffman (born 1949), Chief Executive Officer
• Charles Fenno Hoffman (1806–1884), American author, poet and editor
• Charlotta Hoffman (1807–1877) Swedish actress
• Clare Hoffman (1875–1967), American politician

D

• Daniel Hoffman (1923–2013), American poet, essayist, and academic
• Danny Hoffman (1880–1922), American baseball player
• David Hoffman (disambiguation)
• Darleane C. Hoffman (born 1926), American nuclear chemist
• Dorothea Hoffman (died 1710), Swedish hat maker
• Dorothy Hoffman (1915–1996), American engineer
• Doug Hoffman (born 1953), politician, congressional candidate
• Dustin Hoffman (born 1937), actor
• Dutch Hoffman (1904–1962), American baseball player

E

• Edward George Hoffman (1877–1931), American politician
• Edward J. Hoffman (1942–2004), professor and co-inventor of the PET scanner
• Elaine Hoffman Watts (1932–2017), American klezmer drummer
• Elisha Hoffman (1839–1929), American hymn composer
• Elmer J. Hoffman (1899–1976), American politician
• Eugene Augustus Hoffman (1829–1902), American clergyman

F

• F. Burrall Hoffman (1882–1980), American architect
• Frederick Ludwig Hoffman (1865–1946), American statistician

G

• Gene L. Hoffman (1932–2007), American educator and politician
• George H. Hoffman (1838–1922), South Dakota politician
• Glenn Hoffman (born 1958), former shortstop
• Grace Hoffman (1921–2008), American operatic mezzo-soprano and academic teacher

H

• H. Lawrence Hoffman, illustrator
• Harold G. Hoffman (1896–1954), American politician and governor of New Jersey
• Heinrich Hoffman (1836–1894), American Civil War Corporal in the Union Army
• Heinrich Hoffmann (photographer) (1885-1957), Hitler's personal photographer and Nazi politician.
• Henry William Hoffman (1825–1895), American politician

I

• Izzy Hoffman (1875–1942), American baseball player

J

• Jack Hoffman (born 2005), pediatric cancer patient
• Jack Hoffman (American football) (1930–2001), American football player
• Jackie Hoffman (born 1960), American actress and stand-up comedian
• Jacob Hoffman (1881–1956), Hungarian rabbi
• Jan Hoffmann (born 1955), German figure skater
• Janice Hoffman, birth name of Janice H. Levin (1913–2001), philanthropist and art collector from New York City
• Jason Hoffman (born 1989), Australian football (soccer) player
• Jay Hoffman (rugby league) (born 1958), Australian rugby league footballer
• Jean Hoffman (1893–?), Belgian water polo player
• Jeffrey A. Hoffman (born 1944), astronaut
• Jerzy Hoffman (born 1932), Polish film director and screenwriter
• John Hoffman (filmmaker) (1904–1980), Hungarian-American filmmaker
• John T. Hoffman (1828–1888), governor of New York state and mayor of New York City
• Josh Hoffman (born 1988), Australian Rugby League player
• Josiah Ogden Hoffman (1766–1837), New York State Attorney General 1795–1802
• Josias Philip Hoffman (1807–1879), Boer politician and first President of the Orange Free State
• Julius Hoffman (1895–1983), presiding judge in the Chicago Eight trial

K

• Karla Hoffman, American operations researcher
• Klementyna Hoffmanowa (1798–1845), Polish writer and translator

L

• Larry Hoffman (1878–1948), American baseball player
• Lauren Hoffman (born 1977), American singer
• Lyman Hoffman (born 1950), member of the Alaska Senate

M

• Malvina Hoffman (1887–1966), American sculptor and author
• Mani Hoffman (born 1975), French singer and songwriter
• Marc Hoffman (born 1961), American composer
• Mark González Hoffman (born 1984), Chilean footballer
• Mat Hoffman (born 1972), American BMX rider
• Max Hoffman (1904–1981), Austrian-born importer of European automobiles into the United States
• Melchior Hoffman (c. 1490 – 1543), 16th-century German religious leader
• Michael Hoffman (director) (born 1956), American movie director
• Michael A. Hoffman (1944–1990), American archaeologist
• Michael A. Hoffman II (born 1954), American Holocaust denier
• Myer Hoffman (1902–1959), English-born Irish cricketer
• Myn M. Hoffman (1883–1951), American military nurse

N

• Nadine Hoffman, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Nicholas von Hoffman (1929–2018), American journalist
• Nina Kiriki Hoffman (born 1955), American fantasy author
• Noah Hoffman (born 1989), American Olympic skier
• Nadia Janille Hoffman (born 2004), German-Ghanaian student

O

• Ogden Hoffman (1794–1856), New York State Attorney General 1854–1855
• Ogden Hoffman Jr. (1822–1891), American federal judge
• Otto Hoffman (1879–1944), American film actor

P

• Paul Hoffman (basketball) (1925–1998), American basketball player
• Paul G. Hoffman (1891–1974), American automobile company executive
• Philip Hoffman (disambiguation)

R

• Rachel Hoffman (1984–2008), murder victim in botched drug sting
• Reid Hoffman (born 1967), American entrepreneur
• Richard Hoffman (disambiguation)
• Rick Hoffman, American actor
• Robert Hoffman (disambiguation)

S

• Samuel Hoffman (1903–1967), American thereminist
• Steve Hoffman (disambiguation)

T

• Tex Hoffman (1893–1947), American baseball player
• Thom Hoffman (born 1957), Dutch actor and photographer
• Toni Hoffman, Australian of the Year Local Hero
• Trevor Hoffman (born 1967), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Tristan Hoffman (born 1970), Dutch road racing cyclist

W

• Wilhelm Hoffman, German 6th Army soldier during World War II who chronicled the Battle of Stalingrad
• William Hoffman (disambiguation), multiple people