Surname Freihöfer - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Freihöfer: What does the surname Freihöfer mean?
The last name Freihöfer is a German surname which most likely originated from the Middle High German words “frei” and “hofer”, which respectively mean “free” and “farmer”. Therefore, Freihöfer is generally understood to mean "free farmer" and can be translated into English as either a “freeholder” or “yeoman”.
A yeoman was originally a small-scale farmer who cultivated his own land and was generally independent. Other ways of interpreting the last name Freihöfer is to translate it as a “free peasant” or a “free tenant”. A free peasant in the Middle Ages was a freemen who was subject to a higher lord and had to pay a rent for his farmstead. A free tenant was a farmer who had the exclusive use of his land, either owning the land or being held from a lord of manor rent-free.
The occupation associated with the Freihöfer surname is usually seen as farming, but it could also refer to an administrative role carrying out the duties of a bailiff, or a person who collects debts.
The surname Freihöfer is common in some parts of Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S. It is also known to have been adopted as a surname by people of Jewish descent in the late 19th century in reaction to the strong anti-Semitism occurring at the time.
Overall, the last name Freihöfer has a strong connection to farming, and the associated roles could range from a freehold farmer to a bailiff. It also has a rich history in being adopted by immigrants of different backgrounds, and today is a commonly found last name in Germany and other regions worldwide.
Order DNA origin analysisFreihöfer: Where does the name Freihöfer come from?
The last name Freihöfer is most commonly found in Germany today. It is a German surname derived from the words "frei" (free) and "Höfer" (farmer). The name may have originally been given to a person who was a free farmer on someone else's estate (a "Hof"), or to someone who was free of taxes. In Germany today, the name is most commonly found in the states of Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In the United States, Freihöfer is a rare name, with only about 75 individuals having the name in the U.S. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the name was most common in California, with 12 individuals having the last name in that state. Other states in which Freihöfer was found include Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
In addition to Germany and the U.S., the last name Freihöfer is also found in other countries around the world. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the name is most commonly found in countries such as South Africa, Switzerland, and France, and can also be found in Russia, Canada, and Australia.
Overall, the surname Freihöfer is most commonly found in Germany today, but is also found in other countries around the world. With its German origins, the name likely has its roots in a person who was free of taxes or a free farmer on an estate.
Variations of the surname Freihöfer
Freihöfer is a German surname derived from two distinct sources. The first source is from the Old High German ‘frei’, meaning ‘free’, and ‘hœfe’, meaning ‘cercle’ or the enclosing area of a village, hamlet or settlement. This would indicate the family may have once lived within, or were connected to, an area that encompassed a village, hamlet or settlement.
Variants of the surname Freihöfer include Freihofer, Friehofer, Fryhofer and Fryhöfer. The alternative spellings to Freihöfer are Fröhefer, Fröhofer, Frehefer, Freohöfer and Freohofer.
Freihöfer can also be spelt with the addition of a letter in the middle, such as Freihehöfer or Freyhöfer. The surnames Freihuhöfer and Freyerhöfer are also derived from Freihöfer.
The surname Freihöfer is shared with some other European countries, though in some countries it may be spelt differently. In Austria, the Freihöfer surname is spelt Friehöfer; in the Netherlands, it is spelt Freershöfer; in France, it is spelt Freyhoffer; and in Czech, it is spelt Frejchofer.
The Freihöfer surname can also be found in American derived families. The spelling of the family surname tends to change over time, with descendants in the United States using the surnames Freehafer, Fryehoefer and Fryhofer.
Famous people with the name Freihöfer
- Paul Freihöfer, a German physician and professor of medicine
- Bernhard Freihöfer, a German chemist
- Victor Freihöfer, a German botanist
- Alexandra Freihöfer, a German born actress
- Sebastian Freihöfer, a German writer, musician and artist
- Wolfram Freihöfer, a German politician
- Anna-Luise Freihöfer, a German spokesperson
- Ernst Freihöfer, a German historian
- Johannes Freihöfer, a German journalist
- Wolfgang Freihöfer, a German surgeon and professor of medicine