Surname Kerckhoff - Meaning and Origin

Kerckhoff: What does the surname Kerckhoff mean?

The last name Kerckhoff is of German origin and is derived from the name 'Kerkhoff', which is an old German place name derived from the German words 'Kirche' (which means church) and 'Hof' (which means farm or manor house). It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near or had strong religious connections to a church.

Kerckhoff is a common surname in both Germany and in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium. It is most commonly spelled with 'ck', as in de Kerkhoven, but variants like der Kerckhov, (the original form of the name), Kerkhoff and Kerkhuis are also found.

Kerckhoff is also an old Dutch family or noble name. This is most likely due to the early visits of the Dutch East India Company to the East Coast of the United States in the 1600s. This is likely where the Kerckhoff family that settled in the States came from.

Locally, it is also a surname associated with the Kerckhoffs family in the Netherlands who were among the first to settle at Hoogwerf near Utrecht in 1652.

When translated to English, Kerckhoff means 'the church-court,' or 'farm near the church.' Overall, the Kerckhoff surname is associated with connection to the Church, a Germanic heritage, and noteworthy noble roots.

Kerckhoff: Where does the name Kerckhoff come from?

The surname Kerckhoff is a German surname that is still common in parts of Germany and Austria, as well as other countries with German immigration. It is a spelling variant of the German surname Kerckhoff, which is derived from the Old German words “kerch”, meaning chapel, and “hoff”, meaning court. The surname likely originated in a region where people of that name were associated with a chapel and court, or local government office of some kind.

Kerckhoff is a fairly common name in Germany, with about 9,000 people having the name as of 2019. It is one of the ten most common surnames in the German state of Hesse, and it appears on the list of top 1,000 most common German surnames. In Austria, the Kerckhoff surname appears in roughly 600 census records from 1880 to 1920.

Outside of Germany and Austria, the Kerckhoff surname is not as common, though it may still be found among the descendents of German immigrants who moved to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 report shows about 360 people living in the United States with the surname Kerckhoff. It is also present in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Latin America.

Variations of the surname Kerckhoff

The surname Kerckhoff is a German surname common in Dutch and German-speaking regions. It is derived from the words "Kerk" meaning church and "Hof" meaning court, literally translating to "of the church court." Variations of the surname Kerckhoff include Kerkhoff, Kerk hof, Kerkoff and Kerckhove.

Kerckhoff is sometimes spelled Kerchhoff, Kerkhof, Kerchhove or Kerkhoff. It is common for Kerckhoff to be spelled with two "f's" or two "f's". Surnames with similar origins include Kerkhoven and Kerkhove, which are both derived from the same Dutch or German words for "church court." These variants can also be spelled with two "f's" or two "f's".

The Dutch surnames Kerkhoff, Kerkhof, Kerkhove, and Kerckhove are very similar in origin and spelling. They can sometimes be confused with one another, adding an extra "f" or missing an "f" from the spelling. The different spellings often depend on the country of origin, as different regions tend to have different spelling traditions.

In the Netherlands, the surnames Kerckhoff and Kerchhoff are still frequently used. In Germany, however, the versions Kerkhoff and Kerchhoff are the more common spellings. In Belgium, the Kerkhof, Kerkoff and Kerkhove surnames are more common.

In the United States, the spelling of Kerckhoff or Kerchhoff is more popular, while both spellings are used in Canada and other parts of the world. It is possible that the Kerkhoff, Kerkhof and Kerkoff surnames may have been adopted to English-speaking countries, while the Kerchhove spelling may have been adopted to French-speaking countries.

The similar sounding surname Kirchhoff, which is a combination of two German words "Kirch" meaning church and "Hof" meaning court, is not related to the spelling of Kerckhoff or Kerchhoff. The Kirchhoff surname is relatively common in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Famous people with the name Kerckhoff

• Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz Kerckhoff: a German experimental physicist who made important contributions to the field of thermodynamics and became renowned for his work in energy research.
• Samuel Cornelius David Kerckhoff: an American mining engineer and founder of the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill and Smelting Company, one of the earliest American companies to specialize in large-scale cyanide gold extraction.
• Karl von Kerckhoff: a German Baron and historical writer who served as a diplomat and official in the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire.
• Jane M. Kerckhoff: a prominent American astronomer and professor of astronomy at the California Institute of Technology.
• Katherine Kerckhoff: an American mathematician best known for her work in the foundations and applications of algebraic topology.
• Coenraad Kerckhoff: an American-born Dutchman, chemist, industrialist, and financier who founded the Kerckhoff & Coenen Co., one of the leading firms in the Dutch diamond and jewelry industry.
• W.H. Kerckhoff: an American businessman and bank president best known for his role in financing the massive late 19th century expansion of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
• Maurice Kerckhoff: a German-born American doctor, known as the “Father of Occupational Medicine” for his pioneering work in establishing industrial occupational medical protocols in the US.
• William Kerckhoff: a Dutch American engineer who established the U.S. Navy's first water-protection and wastewater tanks and refineries.
• Martinus Kerckhoff: a Dutch sea captain and explorer who explored parts of northern Alaska in the late 19th century.

Other surnames

KerckhoffsKerckhofs