FastNamesCooper Surname
English and Dutch surname meaning "Occupational surname derived from Middle English couper (Middle Dutch kūper), denoting a craftsman who made and repaired wooden barrels, casks, vats, and tubs.". Ranked 70th in the United States with 280,791 recorded bearers in the 2010 Census (95.2 per 100,000 Americans).
Meaning and origin of the surname Cooper
Occupational surname derived from Middle English couper (Middle Dutch kūper), denoting a craftsman who made and repaired wooden barrels, casks, vats, and tubs.
Historically and linguistically, Cooper belongs to the English and Dutch family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "KOO-pər".
United States Census frequency and ranking
In the official 2010 United States Census, Cooper was recorded 280,791 times, ranking as the 70th most common surname in the nation.
This represents an incidence rate of approximately 95.19 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 1,051 residents.
Race and ethnicity distribution
According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Cooperreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:
| Racial or ethnic group | Share of bearers |
|---|---|
| White | 67.93% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.40% |
| Black or African American | 26.13% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.50% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.74% |
| Two or more races | 2.31% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.
History of the surname Cooper
Cooper is an English occupational surname derived from Middle English couper and Middle Dutch kūper, referring to a maker or repairer of wooden casks, barrels, vats, and tubs. Before the advent of modern plastics and metal containers, wooden cooperage was the universal, indispensable technology for shipping and storing ale, wine, flour, salted meats, gun powder, and whale oil across global maritime trade routes.
Because virtually every medieval town, brewery, and port required the specialized skills of coopers, the occupation gave rise to hereditary surnames across every county in England starting in the twelfth century. Early records include Robert le Cupere in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex (1176) and William le Coupere in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire (1219).
Coopers were essential members of early maritime voyages to North America, including John Alden, the cooper aboard the Mayflower (1620). The surname gained early American literary renown through James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans. In the 2010 United States Census, Cooper ranked 70th nationwide with 280,791 recorded bearers, with substantial populations across all fifty states.
Notable people with the surname Cooper
- Bradley Cooper (1975–), American actor and filmmaker
- Gary Cooper (1901–1961), American actor and two-time Academy Award winner
- Cooper Flagg (2006–), American basketball player
- Cooper Kupp (1993–), American football wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP
Variants and related surnames
Spelling variants
Related surnames
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, Peter McClure. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland (2016), p. 593.
- P. H. Reaney, R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames (1997), p. 109.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Surnames Data (2016). Reference link.