Explore the Family Name Copper
The meaning of Copper
1. English (Kent and Surrey): occupational name either from Middle English copere, a variant of cupere ‘cooper, maker or seller of casks, buckets, and tubs’, found late as copper, or from Middle English copper, cupper ‘maker of cups and small vessels’ (Old Norse koppari). 2. English: in Sussex and perhaps the adjacent counties, probably also a variant of Coppard, either from a Middle English (from Old French, Middle Dutch, or both) personal name Coppard (an extended form of Cop, a pet form of Jacob), or perhaps from Middle English cop(e), coppe ‘top, head’ + the pejorative suffix -ard, perhaps for someone with a large head. 3. Altered form of German Kopper.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Copper in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Copper has experienced a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Copper ranked as the 8729th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had fallen to the 10030th position, marking a decrease of 14.9 percent. The number of people with the Copper surname also declined during this period, from 3466 to 3211, which is a drop of 7.36 percent. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Copper per 100,000 people decreased from 1.28 to 1.09, a change of -14.84 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,729 | #10,030 | -14.9% |
| Count | 3,466 | 3,211 | -7.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.28 | 1.09 | -14.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Copper
The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the ethnic identity associated with the surname Copper changed slightly between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people with this surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black saw declines of 23.08 percent and 4.87 percent respectively. On the other hand, those identifying as White saw a slight increase of 0.62 percent. There were notable increases among those identifying as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native, at 29.26 percent and 32.69 percent respectively. The largest growth occurred among those identifying with two or more races, which increased by 46.53 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 56.49% | 56.84% | 0.62% |
| Black | 38.57% | 36.69% | -4.87% |
| Two or More Races | 2.02% | 2.96% | 46.53% |
| Hispanic | 1.88% | 2.43% | 29.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.52% | 0.69% | 32.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.4% | -23.08% |