The Dutch and German surname of Hoover originate with the Middle Dutch term of ‘huve’ which mean a measure of a land area. It later referred to a landowner. Also the similar German term of ‘huober’ for a land owner. A variation in the spelling of Hoover is Hover. The German versions are Huber and Hueber. In England the few areas with Hoover families are centered in the city of London and neighboring counties of Hampshire and Sussex. There are some also in Monmouthshire and Glamorgan in the southwest region in Wales. In Germany the Hoover surname is mostly in the Bavarian region. Within the United States the Hoover name is primarily in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, California and Missouri. Famous: Erna Schneider Hoover (inventor of computerized phone switching system), J. Edgar Hoover (head of the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation), Paul Hoover (poet), Willis Hoover (singer and song writer), Herbert C. Hoover (31st U. S. President), Brad Hoover (professional football player), William H. Hoover (developer of the Hoover Vacuum Company) and Dave Hoover (comic book artist).