Surname Tegethoff - Meaning and Origin

Tegethoff: What does the surname Tegethoff mean?

The last name Tegethoff is derived from a German-Flemish surname, which was likely originally used as a nickname given to someone who originally wore teg, a type of cape or hooded cloak. The suffix 'hoff' likely comes from either the German word hof (court, garden) or Danish/Norwegian haug (hill/barrow, mound).

Given its geographical and linguistic origins, it is likely that the Tegethoff surname yields from either Germany, Sweden, or Netherlands. Currently, the name is mostly found in German speaking countries, such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. There are also quite a few individuals with this surname living in the United States.

Ultimately, the surname Tegethoff is likely to denote someone who had ancestral origin within German-speaking Europe, most likely Germany, and/or a nickname for someone who wore teg, a type of cape or cloak with a hood.

Tegethoff: Where does the name Tegethoff come from?

The last name Tegethoff is most common today in Germany and other parts of Europe. It is an occupational surname derived from the medieval German words for "cloth shearer." This surname most likely originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, since most of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appear in those areas. Today, Tegethoff is still a popular last name in Germany. According to surnamedb.com, Tegethoff is the 12,554th most common last name in Germany. It is most widely distributed in the areas around Hamburg and Dusseldorf. It is also fairly widespread in Austria, where it was once considered a noble surname. The name Tegethoff can also be found in other parts of Europe, including The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. In the United States, the last name Tegethoff is much less common, but can still be found in various parts of the country. Pockets of Tegethoffs can be found in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and California.

Variations of the surname Tegethoff

The surname Tegethoff is derived from the Middle High German first name ‘Dech(t)iof’, meaning ‘serving/dutiful people’. It is also spelt as Tegenthoff, Tagenthoff and Tietgehoff. The variants of this surname are Tegtmeyer, Tegtmöller, Tegthoff, Tegthofer, Tegendorff and Tegeddyff.

Early recordings of the name appear as Tegtvoff in 1360 in Germany, Tegetof in 1383 and Tiegthof in 1386. The spelling of the name changed several times over the centuries usually attributed to the poor literacy of many of those recording the names.

The surname Tegethoff is found mainly in Germany and Central Europe with fewer numbers of people bearing this surname in other countries. In countries outside of Germany and Central Europe, the surname Tegethoff is sometimes used as a German variant of Tegenthoff, Tagenthoff and Tietgehoff, or sometimes changed to more phonetically English sounding variants such as Teggett, Taggart or Tegetof.

Variations of the surname Tegethoff are found in large numbers in the United States, but not always used in the same original form. Because of the changing of the surname due to immigration, the surname Tegethoff is most often found in the U.S. as Tagert, Tegart, Taggart, Tegtmeyer, Tegtmöller, Tegthoff, Tegthofer, Tegendorff and Tegeddyff.

Famous people with the name Tegethoff

• Erwin Tegethoff: German naval officer during World War II
• Wolfgang Tegethoff: German actor and writer best known for his role as Heinz in the 1982 film Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse
• Johannes Tegethoff: Pastoral theologian who served as the Bishop of Osnabrück from 2006 to 2014
• Bernd Tegethoff: German fencer who won the silver medal in the individual sabre event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
• Brigitte Tegethoff: West German woman who won the 1960 European Women's Basketball Championship with her team
• Günter Tegethoff: Film director who worked in the German television and film industry from the 1950s to the late 1970s
• Florian Tegethoff: German cyclist and member of Team Sunweb, where he was a member of the lead-out train for sprinter Dylan Groenewegen
• Roland Tegethoff: German actor who appeared in numerous theater and television productions in the 1960s and 1970s
• Mike Tegethoff: American cartoonist who created the comic strip Recliner Rabbit which ran in newspapers throughout the United States from 1978 to 1987
• Bernhard Tegethoff: German photographer and graphic designer who specialized in portrait photography

Other surnames

Tegethof