NameCensus.

UK surname

Copple

An English occupational surname for a buyer or seller of cups, from the Middle English "couper" meaning cup-maker.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Copple surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Childwall (Thingwall), Huyton (Huyton with Roby), Prescot and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Wirral and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Copple is 196 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.9%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1911

196 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Copple had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Copple surname distribution map

The map shows where the Copple surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Copple surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Copple over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 66 #21,617
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 159 #20,339
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 150 #22,212
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 150 #23,309
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Copples are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Childwall (Thingwall), Huyton (Huyton with Roby), Prescot, West Derby, Liverpool and Wallasey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Wirral, Bury and Salford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Childwall (Thingwall), Huyton (Huyton with Roby) Lancashire
2 Prescot Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Wallasey Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 012 St. Helens
2 Wirral 022 Wirral
3 Wirral 027 Wirral
4 Bury 023 Bury
5 Salford 012 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Copple

These lists show first names that appear often with the Copple surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Copple

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Copple, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Copple surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Copple household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Copple is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Copple is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Copple falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Copple is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Copple, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Copple

The surname Copple originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "copp," meaning a hill or a mound. This suggests that the name was initially a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or raised area of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a "Robert de la Copple" in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273. This indicates that the name was likely in use by that time, and may have been associated with a specific location called "Copple" or a variation thereof.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Coppyll," "Copull," and "Coppel," reflecting the inconsistent spellings common in those times. A notable bearer of the name was John Copple, a landowner mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.

By the 16th century, the spelling had become more standardized to the modern form of Copple. In 1567, a record from the Parish Registers of Orton, Westmorland, mentions the marriage of one Thomas Copple. Around the same time, the name was also found in the nearby county of Cumberland, where a William Copple was recorded in the Muster Rolls of 1583.

Moving into the 17th century, the Copple surname gained some prominence with the birth of Richard Copple (1625-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Somerby in Lincolnshire. Another notable figure was John Copple (1670-1743), a merchant and philanthropist from Chichester, West Sussex, who left a substantial bequest to support education and charitable causes in the city.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, with families bearing the surname found in places like Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire. One significant individual from this period was William Copple (1742-1823), a renowned clockmaker from Ipswich, Suffolk, whose work was highly regarded in his time.

As the centuries progressed, the Copple surname continued to be found throughout England, with some bearers emigrating to other parts of the world, carrying the name with them. While not an extremely common surname, it has left a lasting legacy in various regions and historical records, reflecting the rich tapestry of English naming traditions and their evolution over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Copple families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Copple surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 110 Copples recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.79x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 110 6.79x
Cheshire 16 5.31x
Kent 7 1.50x
Devon 2 0.70x
Northumberland 2 0.98x
Oxfordshire 2 2.37x
Gloucestershire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knowsley in Lancashire leads with 18 Copples recorded in 1881 and an index of 3050.85x.

Place Total Index
Knowsley 18 3050.85x
Prescot 17 580.20x
West Derby 10 21.10x
Huyton With Roby 8 421.05x
Liscard 8 147.33x
Toxteth Park 8 14.58x
Deptford St Nicholas 7 189.19x
Kirkdale 7 25.68x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 73.80x
Tottington Higher End 6 326.09x
Liverpool 5 5.08x
Southworth With Croft 5 1041.67x
Great Bolton 4 18.64x
Great Neston 4 400.00x
Sutton 4 73.66x
Thornton In Sefton 4 3076.92x
Deddington 2 217.39x
North Shields 2 49.38x
Tiverton 2 40.82x
Whiston 2 158.73x
Aston By Sutton 1 769.23x
Bradwall 1 322.58x
Colne 1 20.70x
Everton 1 1.94x
Lancaster 1 10.37x
Lydiate 1 200.00x
Ness 1 555.56x
Oldham 1 1.91x
Parr 1 17.24x
Stroud 1 19.19x
Thornton Hough 1 476.19x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Copple surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 15
Margaret 8
Alice 6
Elizabeth 6
Ann 5
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Jessie 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Louise 1
Nancy 1
Rosamond 1
Susanna 1
Sussana 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Copple surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 12
William 10
James 6
George 4
Thomas 3
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Richd. 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Evan 1
Henery 1
Henry 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Robt. 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Copple surname: questions and answers

How common was the Copple surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Copple surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Copple surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Copple a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Copple surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a buyer or seller of cups, from the Middle English "couper" meaning cup-maker.

What does the Copple map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Copple bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.