Surname Eikhoff - Meaning and Origin

Eikhoff: What does the surname Eikhoff mean?

The surname Eikhoff is a habitational surname derived from the town of Eikhoff, Germany. It is a toponymic name referring to a person who originally hailed from this town. The name is derived from the Middle High German term “ehe,” which translates to “oak,” and “hove,” which means “court.” This therefore translates to “oak court” and may refer to a settlement founded around an oak grove.

In the Middle Ages, Eikhoff was a noble family estate located in Saxony, an area of what is now modern Germany. While the family name itself is most commonly found in Germany, it is also linked to various other countries, including the Netherlands and the United States.

Eikhoff families have a history of being involved in a variety of professions, typically those that utilized physical strength and warcraft. Members of the Eikhoff family typically served as mercenaries throughout the 18th and 19th centuries in various locations around the world. Other professional occupations have included farming, milling, stonecutting, and carpentry.

Given its origin as a habitational name, the Eikhoff surname emerged and has continued to be used in various locations throughout Europe and America, giving a sense of shared heritage amongst its holders.

Eikhoff: Where does the name Eikhoff come from?

The last name Eikhoff is most common today in Germany, as well as in the Netherlands and North America. It is believed to be a German patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name "Eike" or "Eicke". The name Eikhoff is found in records of the region as early as 1253 when a man by the name of Inkel Eikon was recorded in the Fulda Monastery.

Eikhoff is an uncommon surname even in Germany, with only a few hundred people in that country bearing the name today. It is generally believed to originate from the Rhineland-Palatinate region in western Germany, and it is thought that many of those bearing the name today are descended from the same original Eikhoff family.

In the Netherlands, the name is typically spelled Eickhof or Eikhoven and derives from the same Proto-Germanic root name as the German version. There are approximately 4,000 people in the Netherlands by this name, most of whom are concentrated in a few small towns, such as Nijmegen, Ede, and Utrecht.

In North America, the name Eikhoff or Eickhoff is particularly common in the areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. This is likely due to the number of Dutch immigrants who settled in these areas in the late 19th century. It is estimated that over 800 people in North America bear the last name Eikhoff or its variants today.

Overall, the last name Eikhoff is most highly concentrated in Germany, the Netherlands and North America today.

Variations of the surname Eikhoff

The surname Eikhoff may have several different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, depending on where it is being used. For example, in the United States, some of the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Eikhof, Eikhoff, Eighoff, Aickhoff, Aighoff, Aikenhof, Aikenhuis, and Aikenhans. In the Netherlands, the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Eykenhoff, Eykenhof, Eyckenhof, Ekkenhof, Eckhoff, Eackenhoef, and Eckenhoef.

In Germany, some of the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Eiekhoff, Eyekhoff, Eikhoven, Eichhof, Eiecken, Eiekhe, Eikhe, Eck, Eckhoff, and Eijcken. In Austria, some of the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Eick, Eickerl, Ekl, Eickhorn, Eckert, Eick, Eichler, and Eickerle. In South Africa, some of the most common variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Eicker, Eiker, Ekker, and Eigelaar.

The exact origin of the surname Eikhoff is not clear. While it is possible that the surname originated from Germanic or Dutch Protestant families, other sources suggest that the surname was derived from immigrant French Huguenots who settled in the United States in the late 17th century. There are not many records that clearly show the exact origin of the surname, but the numerous variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin do point to a potential common ground of origin.

Famous people with the name Eikhoff

• Andrew Eikhoff: a popular current rock musician
• William Eikhoff: a noted American physicist
• Edward J. Eikhoff: World War II veteran
• John Eikhoff: Member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa
• Jello Eikhoff: 19th-century Dutch painter
• Otto Eikhoff: German politician and financial officer
• Albert Eikhoff: art dealer and director of the Berliner Galerie
• James Eikhoff: Medal of Honor recipient for his service in the Vietnam War
• Juan Eikhoff: Puerto Rican Nationalistic leader
• Federico Eikhoff: Governor of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro
• Hans Eikhoff: German former footballer
• Michael Eikhoff: Danish politician and first national commissioner of the Faroe Islands
• Friedrich Eikhoff: German historian and compact novelist
• Robert Eikhoff: German author and essayist
• Lon Eikhoff: Major League Baseball pitcher

Other surnames

EikhofEikholtEikholzEikhorst