Stoffel
A surname from the given name Christopher, especially in Dutch, German, and Swiss forms.
The #8,753 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,376 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stoffel is a shortened or altered form of Christoffel, itself a vernacular form of Christopher. The ultimate root is Greek Christophoros, meaning “Christ-bearer.” In the historical sources, the name is treated as an abbreviated surname built from a saint’s name rather than from the modern English word "stoff."
History
The surname appears in Germanic and Swiss usage as a family name derived from the personal name Christoffel. 19th-century writers also note French forms such as Christophle/Christofle and treat Stoffel as a regional shortening of that Christian name. In English-speaking countries it is comparatively uncommon, but it travels easily with German, Swiss, and Dutch immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century onomastic writers specifically glossed Stoffel as an abbreviated Flemish form of Christoffel.
From the historical record
“Motard, Mtftlie, Mott, Motz- s. Mod. M9w- s. Bartholomäus. Mozart wohl zu Mod. Stoffel Motzhart 1551 Augsb. Dies die älteste Spur des großen Namens; Mozarts Vater war bekanntlich ein geborener Augsburgor (Bacm.). Maekenselmabel III. (München). Mnd-, Mttg^e s. Mod.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen