Show ContentsCoop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Coop surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a person who habitually wore a long cloak or cape. The surname Coop is derived from the Old English word cope, which emerged about 1225 and comes from the Old English word cape, which refers to a cloak or cape.

Early Origins of the Coop family

The surname Coop was first found in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire where the family "appear in the character of civil servants of the crown in the reign of Richard II and Henry IV, and were rewarded with large grants of land." 1 The held family seats at Hardwick and Hanwell, both in the neighbourhood of Banbury. 1

Another source claims "Staffordshire is the home of the Copes, who are most numerous in the district of Stoke - on - Trent. In the reign of Charles II., Jonathan Cope, of Rauton Abbey, was High Sheriff for the county. The name is also represented in Cheshire and Derbyshire. The ancestors of the line of baronets of this name seem to hail originally from Oxfordshire. In the 13th century the name was established in Bucks, Beds, London, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire." 2

Early History of the Coop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coop research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1551, 1557, 1578, 1588, 1601, 1604, 1614, 1632, 1660, 1675, 1690, 1745, 1760 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Coop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coop Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Coop has been recorded under many different variations, including Cope, Coap, Coape, Copes and others.

Early Notables of the Coop family

Distinguished members of the family include Alan Cope (d. 1578), English Catholic divine, "a native of the city of London. He was educated at Oxford, and after taking the degree of B.A. was made perpetual fellow of Magdalen College in 1549. " 3Sir Anthony Cope (d. 1551), was an early English author, second son of William Cope of Hanwell, Oxfordshire, cofferer to Henry VII, by his second wife Joan, daughter of John Spencer of Hodnell, Warwickshire, was a member of Oriel College, Oxford, but does not appear to have graduated. 3Michael Cope (fl. 1557), was a Protestant author who fled from...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coop Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coop Ranking

In the United States, the name Coop is the 14,667th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Coop family to Ireland

Some of the Coop family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Coop migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Coop or a variant listed above:

Coop Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Walter Coop, (Cooper), aged 33, who landed in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Jonathan" 5
  • Thomas Coop, (Cooper), aged 18, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "The Christian" in 1634 5
  • Peter Coop, (Cooper), aged 28, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellin" 5
  • Anthony Coop, who settled in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1635
  • Elizabeth Coop, aged 24, who arrived in New England in 1635 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Coop Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Coop, who landed in Virginia in 1719 5

West Indies Coop migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Coop Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • George Coop, aged 20, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 5
  • Mr. John Coop, (Cooper), (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Coop (post 1700) +

  • Thomas "Tom" Coop (1863-1929), English rugby union footballer
  • Mick Coop (b. 1948), retired English professional football right back
  • Jeans Coop, Belgian bobsledder who competed in the late 1930s
  • Trevor Coop, British feature film and drama camera operator
  • Franco Coop (1891-1962), Italian film actor


The Coop Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Aequo adeste animo
Motto Translation: Be present with mind unchangeable.


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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