Cooper

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Cooper

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Cooper is an English, medieval occupational surname, originally Cupere. It means “One Who Makes Barrels.”

History:
Cooper is another example of an English surname transferred for use as a first name.

Originally, it would have been bestowed upon sons as either a first or a middle name in order to honor the Cooper surname. For example, a woman named Mary Cooper who married a man named John Smith, may name her son John Cooper Smith, or merely Cooper Smith. This custom had pretty much died out by the mid-20th century.

Although this custom is rarely practiced today, the name Cooper was revived in the late 1970s, when names ending in the “urr” sound began to be trendy for boys.

Pronunciation: coop-er.

Alternate (surnames): Coopper, Cupere, Copper, Couper, Cowper, Cupper.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % of males named Cooper

0.113 % surnamed Cooper

Popularity of Cooper:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 777th most popular.
1875: N/A
1880-1881: N/A
1882: 837th most popular.
1883-1884: N/A
1885: 700th most popular.
1886: 846th most popular.
1887: 922nd most popular.
1888-1981: N/A
1982: 992nd most popular.
1983: N/A
1984: 922nd most popular.
1985: 871st most popular.
1986: 886th most popular.
1987: 789th most popular.
1988: 794th most popular.
1989: 748th most popular.
1990: 732nd most popular.
1991: 642nd most popular.
1992: 567th most popular.
1993: 506th most popular.
1994: 449th most popular.
1995: 387th most popular.
1996: 371st most popular.
1997: 317th most popular.
1998: 256th most popular.
1999: 261st most popular.
2000: 242nd most popular.
2001: 205th most popular.
2002: 195th most popular.
2003: 170th most popular.
2004: 133rd most popular.

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of English Surnames - Reaney and Wilson, 1997
The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880