NameCensus.

UK surname

Hooper

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired wooden hoops for barrels or buckets.

In the 1881 census there were 12,597 people recorded with the Hooper surname, ranking it #334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,220, ranked #417, down from #334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Somerset and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hooper is 16,305 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.8%.

1881 census count

12,597

Ranked #334

Modern count

15,220

2016, ranked #417

Peak year

1911

16,305 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hooper had 12,597 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,220 in 2016, ranked #417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,305 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hooper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hooper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hooper 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 8,988 #297
1861 historical 9,252 #291
1881 historical 12,597 #334
1891 historical 13,541 #321
1901 historical 15,032 #353
1911 historical 16,305 #297
1997 modern 15,322 #396
1998 modern 15,859 #399
1999 modern 15,974 #399
2000 modern 15,883 #399
2001 modern 15,483 #398
2002 modern 15,682 #403
2003 modern 15,288 #403
2004 modern 15,246 #404
2005 modern 14,820 #411
2006 modern 14,812 #413
2007 modern 14,920 #411
2008 modern 14,955 #413
2009 modern 15,329 #412
2010 modern 15,518 #416
2011 modern 15,277 #417
2012 modern 15,023 #417
2013 modern 15,393 #413
2014 modern 15,476 #415
2015 modern 15,288 #416
2016 modern 15,220 #417

Geography

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Where Hoopers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and St Austell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Somerset, Torridge, North Devon and Sedgemoor. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Austell Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 012 Cornwall
2 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
3 Torridge 007 Torridge
4 North Devon 013 North Devon
5 Sedgemoor 014 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hooper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hooper

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hooper, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Hooper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hooper 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hooper is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hooper is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hooper falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hooper is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Hooper

The surname Hooper originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century. It derives from the Old English pre-7th century word "hoper" or "hopor," meaning a vaulter or leaper, likely referring to an agile person or an acrobat. The name may have also been associated with the occupation of a manufacturer or seller of hoops.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Hopere" and "Hoppere." The name was most prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Hoppere, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279. In the 14th century, John Hoper was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1330.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Hooper." Notable individuals with this surname include John Hooper (c. 1495-1555), an English Protestant reformer and martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions.

In the 17th century, George Hooper (1640-1727) was an English philosopher and theologian, while Robert Hooper (1773-1835) was a renowned English dramatist and writer. In the 19th century, Wilfred Hooper (1822-1892) was a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements in agricultural machinery.

Another significant bearer of the Hooper name was Sir Ralph Hooper (1773-1835), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island from 1824 to 1830.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hooper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hooper 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. Devon leads with 1,869 Hoopers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.26x.

County Total Index
Devon 1,869 7.26x
Middlesex 1,816 1.47x
Somerset 1,148 5.76x
Gloucestershire 1,133 4.67x
Cornwall 1,125 8.03x
Surrey 731 1.21x
Hampshire 506 2.00x
Worcestershire 457 2.83x
Lancashire 427 0.29x
Kent 360 0.85x
Warwickshire 339 1.09x
Glamorgan 284 1.32x
Dorset 243 2.99x
Staffordshire 222 0.53x
Wiltshire 222 2.03x
Yorkshire 182 0.15x
Herefordshire 161 3.17x
Essex 148 0.61x
Sussex 138 0.66x
Durham 117 0.32x
Monmouthshire 101 1.13x
Pembrokeshire 83 2.11x
Oxfordshire 74 0.97x
Suffolk 64 0.42x
Berkshire 61 0.66x
Channel Islands 59 1.61x
Hertfordshire 54 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 50 0.30x
Northumberland 47 0.26x
Northamptonshire 46 0.40x
Norfolk 42 0.22x
Cumberland 39 0.37x
Royal Navy 33 2.24x
Shropshire 33 0.31x
Cheshire 27 0.10x
Derbyshire 25 0.13x
Brecknockshire 24 0.97x
Lanarkshire 24 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 23 0.31x
Leicestershire 21 0.15x
Kirkcudbrightshire 19 1.06x
Midlothian 15 0.09x
Fife 12 0.16x
Lincolnshire 12 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.17x
West Lothian 9 0.48x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.16x
Renfrewshire 8 0.08x
Bedfordshire 6 0.09x
Stirlingshire 5 0.11x
Roxburghshire 4 0.18x
Perthshire 3 0.05x
Anglesey 1 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.03x
Flintshire 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 173 Hoopers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 173 1.66x
Lambeth 163 1.51x
St Pancras London 153 1.54x
Islington London 149 1.24x
Hackney London 146 2.10x
St Austell 146 30.49x
Stoke Damerel 145 8.04x
Aston 128 1.49x
St Marylebone London 119 1.80x
Bethnal Green London 118 2.20x
Cheltenham 107 5.72x
Plymouth St Andrew 105 5.29x
Portsea 102 2.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 93 4.07x
Mile End Old Town London 84 3.19x
Camberwell 78 0.99x
Kensington London 76 1.10x
Plymouth Charles The 74 6.52x
Chelsea London 70 1.88x
Bridgewater 64 11.84x
Battersea 63 1.38x
Mere 62 49.88x
Newington 61 1.33x
Kings Norton 60 4.14x
Bedminster 58 3.10x
Clerkenwell London 54 1.85x
Tormoham 54 4.96x
St Cleer 53 43.63x
St Agnes 51 26.00x
Street 51 47.33x
Bristol St George 50 4.46x
St George Hanover Square 50 2.29x
Bow London 49 3.11x
Kidderminster Borough 49 5.18x
St Neot 48 86.97x
Bermondsey 47 1.28x
Bromley London 47 1.73x
Crewkerne 47 22.22x
Merriott 47 80.65x
Brighton 45 1.07x
Hammersmith London 45 1.48x
Tiverton 45 10.14x
Walcot 44 4.15x
Bristol St James St Paul 42 5.19x
Calstock 42 15.29x
Roche 42 59.03x
West Ham 42 0.78x
Paddington London 41 0.90x
Rodborough 40 34.13x
Chagford 39 63.24x
Millbrook 39 6.11x
Shoreditch London 39 0.73x
Exeter St Sidwell 38 6.44x
Littleham 38 20.18x
Liverpool 38 0.43x
Croydon 37 1.11x
Penarth 37 17.57x
Toxteth Park 37 0.74x
Swansea Town 36 2.04x
Southampton St Mary 35 2.19x
Liskeard 34 14.51x
Streatham 34 3.70x
East Stonehouse 33 6.50x
Gwennap 33 12.49x
Hampstead London 33 1.71x
Royal Navy 33 2.62x
St Luke London 33 1.66x
Stroud 33 6.99x
Tottenham 32 1.62x
Claines 31 6.99x
Exeter St Mary Major 31 19.97x
Kingston On Thames 31 2.14x
Seaton 31 31.22x
Topsham 31 25.50x
Wandsworth 31 2.60x
Bideford 30 10.87x
Colyton 30 30.33x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 30 6.76x
Lewisham 30 1.33x
St Breock 30 39.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 804
Elizabeth 540
Sarah 332
Jane 271
Emma 229
Ellen 200
Emily 197
Eliza 196
Annie 195
Ann 183
Alice 159
Louisa 119
Edith 98
Florence 96
Hannah 92
Caroline 89
Maria 86
Martha 83
Harriet 81
Fanny 80
Susan 78
Charlotte 76
Margaret 76
Ada 70
Kate 63
Clara 61
Catherine 59
Anne 58
Bessie 55
Lucy 53
Frances 52
Amelia 51
Harriett 44
Jessie 36
Julia 36
Esther 34
Grace 33
Laura 33
Rose 33
Minnie 30
Gertrude 29
Amy 28
Helen 28
Matilda 28
Agnes 27
Beatrice 27
Ethel 27
Isabella 26
Anna 25
Sophia 25

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 813
John 680
George 409
Thomas 409
James 379
Henry 316
Charles 280
Richard 178
Joseph 149
Alfred 137
Albert 130
Robert 125
Frederick 119
Samuel 115
Arthur 108
Edward 99
Walter 84
Frank 75
Edwin 60
Ernest 58
Francis 51
Harry 48
Herbert 48
Wm. 35
David 34
Benjamin 33
Sidney 31
Fred 29
Philip 22
Daniel 19
Fredrick 19
Edgar 16
Edmund 16
Fredk. 15
Tom 15
Peter 13
Stephen 13
Sydney 13
Thos. 13
Percy 12
Willm. 12
Chas. 11
Isaac 11
Reginald 11
Richd. 11
Earnest 10
Geo. 10
Mark 10
Alexander 9
Saml. 9

FAQ

Hooper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hooper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,597 people were recorded with the Hooper surname. That placed it at #334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hooper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,220 in 2016. That gives Hooper a modern rank of #417.

What does the Hooper surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or repaired wooden hoops for barrels or buckets.

What does the Hooper map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hooper 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.