Jean Chrétien Ferdinand Hoefer (German: Ferdinand Höfer, April 21, 1811, Döschnitz – May 1878) was a German-French physician and lexicographer. He is now known for his many works on the history of science.
He also compiled the 46-volume "Nouvelle Biographie Générale, depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à nos jours" (New General Biography, from earliest times to the present day), from 1853 to 1866.