Hoper

The surname Hoper is of English origin, first appearing in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hopere," which referred to a maker or seller of hoops used in barrel-making and other trades. The name may also have ties to the Middle English word "hoper," meaning a dancer or one who hops.

Early records show the name was most prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire in southwestern England. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list a Robert le Hoper in Dorset, one of the earliest known references to the surname.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Hoppere, Hopyr, and Hoppar. The Poll Tax returns of 1379 include a John Hoper living in Yorkshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was William Hoper, a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, who lived from around 1460 to 1535.

The Hopers were also present in Norfolk, as evidenced by the will of John Hoper of Walsoken, proved in 1557. Another early record is that of Thomas Hoper, who was christened in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1595.

In the 17th century, the name spread further across England, including to the county of Oxfordshire, where John Hoper, a wealthy landowner and benefactor, lived from 1625 to 1701.

Other notable Hopers throughout history include Sir Henry Hoper (1703-1768), a British naval officer and colonial administrator in the West Indies, and William Hoper (1772-1842), an English landscape painter and engraver.

The Hoper surname continued to be found across various regions of England in the following centuries, with bearers such as John Hoper (1804-1879), a prominent architect in London, and Sir Edward Hoper (1840-1912), a British diplomat and colonial administrator in Africa and the Middle East.