87,416 Global Hoper Family Members

Hoper Family History

Family spelling variants include Hoper and Hopper.

There are approximately 87,416 Hooper family members around the world. In general you can double this figure to include those related to the Hooper names to allow for those connected to the name through maiden name connections.

It is estimated that the largest group of Hooper family members live in USA with 45,825 (52.4%) members, England with 18,301 (20.9%) members, Australia with 11,511 (13.2%), Canada with 4,955 (5.7%) members, New Zealand with 2,530 (2.9%) members, South Africa with 1,725 (2%) members, Wales with 1,713 (2%) members, Scotland with 446 (0.5%) members and Ireland with 411 (0.5%) members. 

In 1881 Census, there were 13,115 occurrences in England and Wales with a further 64 occurrences in Scotland. The surname was widespread, especially Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire. Cornwall was recorded as a top county with 1,125 occurrences. 

In 1881, the most common Hooper occupation in the UK was Farmer, along with Agricultural Labourer and Labourer as the top 3 reported jobs worked by Hooper family. A less common occupation for the Hooper was Carpenter.

An English occupational name for a cooper, barrel-maker, someone who fitted hoops on wooden casks or barrels. In Middle English, hoper an agent derivative of hop ‘hoop’ or similarly ‘band’. Perhaps in some cases, a maker of hoops. 

The same as Hoper. John Hooper, bishop of Gloucester, a victim of the Marian persecution, wrote his name indifferently Hoper and Hooper. Perhaps in some cases a maker of hoops. 

Early bearers of the surname include: Adam le Hoper(e), 1228 in Close Rolls (Wilts); Philip le Hoper(e), 1297 in Earldom of Cornwall Accounts; William le Houper, 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Somerset); Richard Hoper, couper, 1367 in York Freemen’s Register; Ralph Hooper, 1444 in Ancient Deeds vi (Devon).

Mr. John Hooper (b. 1798), was a Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall on 24 March 1821. He was sentenced for life at age 23, for breaking in and stealing from the house of Hugh Best of Cardingham. He was transported aboard the ship "Mary" on 28 August 1821 to New South Wales, Australia.

The noted, Ralph Spenser Hooper OBE FREng FRAeS, (b. 1926), an English aeronautical engineer, recognised mostly for his work on the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, specifically in relation to the marriage between the Pegasus engine and the layout of the aircraft, allowing it to safely hover with margins of stability. 

Another noted, Richard "Dick" Hooper (b. 1956), an Irish former long-distance runner who has won the Dublin marathon three times.

Daniel Hooper (born 1973), better known as ‘Swampy’ is an environmental activist or eco-warrior from the United Kingdom. He was active in a variety of environmental protests including that in Fairmile, Devon, against the expansion of the A30 road in 1996.

1881, 1891 Census

1881 Census in Cornwall

Dictionary of American Family Homes, P Hanks OUP 2003

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, H.B. Guppy, London 1890

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, P.Hanks, Coats, McClure OUP 2016

1860 Lower, Mark A Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom, London: J.R Smith. Public Domain

1857 Arthur, William An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain

https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/mary/1821

J.M.P