Meaning and origin
The last name Hoover has its origins in Germany and derives from the Middle High German word "huober" meaning "owner" or "keeper of livestock." Originally a status name for a prosperous farmer or landowner, the name gradually spread to other parts of Europe. Notably, the Hoovers emigrated to the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries, where the name became more widespread, particularly associated with patrilineal ancestry descending from German immigrant families.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#580
Hoover was the 580th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 57,497 people, about 19 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Hoover
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Hoover is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.