Surname Hoch - Meaning and Origin

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E. Hoch

Hoch: What does the surname Hoch mean?

The German name Hoch is derived from the middle high German hoch, meaning "high", denoting a person noted for his physical height or for some other lofty characteristic.

The name is an occupational surname given to an individual who took on the role as someone in a “high” position, typically a nobleman. It was also used to designate a family that owned high land or was one of the elite class.

Through the ages, the name has been spelled many different ways, including Hoeche, Hoechen, Hechie, Hech, Hoechey, and Hoech. Some branches of the Hoch family grew outward to Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. In 2007, the number of people with the name in Germany was more than 6,441.

Hoch is still an active surname today and is a popular choice for naming babies in Germany and the United States. The name is most commonly seen in craftsmen, farmers, merchants and noble families in Germany. It is also commonly linked to various places in the region of Bavaria, with many people coming from cities such as Bergerstadt, Schoenberg, and Regenburg.

The Hoch surname is seen across cultures and various countries. It denotes a person, family, or place with a feeling of elevation and its original meaning is often thought to reflect this.

Hoch: Where does the name Hoch come from?

The surname Hoch is most commonly found in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The name comes from the Middle High German word “hoc” which means “high” or “tall” and likely originated as a nickname for someone who was particularly tall or high-standing in stature. Today, there is a significant presence of the Hoch surname across Germany with high concentrations in the German states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine Westphalia. Variations of the name Hoch can also be found in neighbouring countries, such as Lower Silesia in Poland. In the United States, the Hoch surname can be found primarily in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan. In the United Kingdom, the name is present in Scotland but significantly less prevalent than in mainland Europe.

The ExploreYourTree Project provides a network for people with the surname Hoch, and records indicate that there are approximately 414,000 people who bear the Hoch surname worldwide.

Variations of the surname Hoch

The surname Hoch is derived from the German word hoch, which means “high” or “tall” in English. The name is found most commonly in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly among German-speaking peoples.

Variants of the surname Hoch include Höch, Höckh, Hocke, Hoeche, Hockh, Hock, Hockefeld and Hoeckh. Additionally, the Dutch variant Hoek may be derived from Hoch.

As with many German surnames, numerous spelling variations exist for the surname Hoch. These variations can be found in all languages influenced by the German culture, including English, Dutch, French, and Italian. Spelling variants of the surname Hoch include: Hoek, Hocke, Hoeche, Höch, Hock, Höckh, Hoekh, and Hockfeld.

The surnames Hooke, Hoke, and Hoce are all derived from the High German hoch (high). It is likely that some families with these other spellings of the same name share a common ancestor with the Hoch family, although the spelling variations could also have evolved independently.

Other surnames of the same origin include Hok, Hochberg, Koets, Koetz and Höchst. All of these surnames are derived from the Middle High German hoh or hoch, which meant "high".

Famous people with the name Hoch

• Ted Hoch, television and film actor and former National Football League player.
• Adam Hoch, American author and columnist.
• Lewis J. Hoch, a former Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and a professor of medicine.
• Max Hoch, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient.
• Paul Hoch, a former admiral in the United States Navy.
• Sally Hoch, the first female mountain guide certified by the American Mountain Guide Association.
• Peter Hoch, award-winning film director.
• David R. Hoch, an American Scientist and environmentalist.
• Tom Hoch, CEO and president of the Hennepin Theatre Trust.
• Michael Hoch, opera musician, author and composer.
• Clifton Hoch, an entrepreneur who founded Hoch Resources, an energy exploration and production company.
• Janice Hoch, an American labor economist and professor.
• Dorothy Hoch, a former White House Social Secretary in the Bill Clinton administration.
• Eric Hoch, the founder of Eric Trump Foundation.
• Carl Hoch, a former Major League Baseball player.
• Barbara Hoch, an American poet and essayist.
• John Hoch, a former Chairman of the California Memorial Stadium Association.
• Constance Hoch, a former Navy Lieutenant commander.
• June Hoch, a former film editor and documentary producer.
• Amy Hoch, a mathematician and computer scientist.

Other surnames

HocheHöcheHochestetlerHochgemutHochgemuthHochgesangHochgräfHochgräfeHochgrebeHochgreefHochgreveHochhutHochhuthHochkirchenHochländerHochlechnerHochmannHochmillerHochmüllerHochmutHochmuthHochreiterHochreitherHochreitterHochreuterHochreutherHochreutterHochscheidHochscheitHochsprung