This most interesting surname is of early medieval German origin, and is an Anglicized form of "Huber", a Dutch and German name, from the Middle High German "huobe", Old High German "huoba", a measure of land, varying in size at different periods and in different places, but always of considerable extent, appreciably larger than the holding of the average peasant. Thus the surname usually denoted a holder or owner of this amount of land, a prosperous small farmer, and probably one of the leading men of his village. However, it seems also to have been acquired by men who merely worked on such a holding in return for a wage. In the United States the name is also Anglicized as Hoover, the most notable bearer of this name being Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States (1929 - 1933). Early examples include: John Hover, who married Elizabeth Ganfeeld on May 4th 1588, at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London; Friedrich Hoever, who married Anna Quell on January 3rd 1592, at Starkenburg, Hessen; and the christening of Gerardus, son of Wilmken and Giertgen Hover, on June 13th 1646, at Boisheim, Rheinland, Germany. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hans Hoever, which was dated February 6th 1581, marriage to Barbara Weitz, at Reinheim, Dieburg, Starkenburg, Hessen (Germany), during the reign of King Rudolf 11, Holy Roman Emperor, 1576 - 1612. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.