Explore the Family Name Hofstetter
The meaning of Hofstetter
1. German and Swiss German: status name for someone who worked or lived at the principal farm on an estate, from Middle High German hovestat, hofstat ‘farmstead, manor farm’. 2. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone from any of various places called Hofstätt(en) or Hofstetten. Compare Hoffstetter. History: As a name of Swiss German origin (see 1 above) the surname Hofstetter is found among the American Mennonites. The Mennonite immigrants bearing this name were Peter, Nicolas, and Christian Hofstetter from Switzerland, who came to Wayne County, OH, in the first half of the 19th century. Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Kurt, Fritz, Gunter, Horst, Otmar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hofstetter in the United States?
The surname Hofstetter, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census was ranked 12,986 in popularity in 2000 and fell slightly to a ranking of 13,781 by 2010 - marking a change of -6.12 percent. Despite this drop in rank, the number of people bearing the Hofstetter surname actually increased from 2,164 in 2000 to 2,195 in 2010, a rise of about 1.43 percent. However, when analyzed for its proportion per 100k population, a slight decline of -7.5 percent was observed over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,986 | #13,781 | -6.12% |
| Count | 2,164 | 2,195 | 1.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.8 | 0.74 | -7.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hofstetter
In terms of ethnicity, the Hofstetter surname showed a diverse background as per the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of Hofstetters identified as White (96.07 percent), with this figure decreasing slightly to 94.62 percent in 2010. Over the same period, the percentage of Hofstetters identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.23 percent to 0.50 percent. Those reporting two or more ethnic identities also saw a significant increase from 0.69 percent to 1.59 percent. There was a modest growth in individuals identifying as Hispanic from 2.13 percent to 2.64 percent. The proportion of Hofstetters identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained fairly stable at around 0.60 percent in 2000 and 0.64 percent in 2010. Data for those identifying as Black was suppressed in 2010 for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.07% | 94.62% | -1.51% |
| Hispanic | 2.13% | 2.64% | 23.94% |
| Two or More Races | 0.69% | 1.59% | 130.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.64% | 6.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.23% | 0.5% | 117.39% |
| Black | 0.28% | 0% | -100% |