Show ContentsCropper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Cropper comes from one of the family having worked as a mower, or field laborer. The surname Cropper was originally derived from the Old English word cropp, which means cut, which was quite common in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Cropper family

The surname Cropper was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cropper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cropper research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cropper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cropper Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Cropper have been found, including: Cropper, Crowper, Crapper and others.

Early Notables of the Cropper family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir Edward Cropper of Swaylands who took the additional name of Thornborough when he married into the Thornborough family of San Francisco

Cropper Ranking

In the United States, the name Cropper is the 6,606th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Cropper migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Cropper, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Cropper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Gilbert Cropper, who settled in Maryland in 1668
  • John Cropper, who landed in Maryland in 1680 [2]
Cropper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Cropper, a bonded passenger, who settled in Maryland in 1722
  • Robert Cropper, who settled in Virginia in 1740
Cropper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • V Cropper, aged 22, who arrived in America in 1822 [2]
  • Elisha J. Cropper, who settled in Galveston, TX in 1839
  • Mr. Cropper, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [2]
  • Henry, John, Lomax, and Thomas Cropper, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1848 to 1866

Australia Cropper migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cropper Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Samuel Cropper, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [3]
  • Mr. James Cropper, (b. 1800), aged 38, English black smith who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life for uttering forged notes, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]
  • Rebecca Cropper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Simlah" in 1849 [5]
  • Jane Cropper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Simlah" in 1849 [5]
  • James Cropper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Simlah" in 1849 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Cropper migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cropper Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Eli Cropper, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Cropper (post 1700) +

  • Anton Cropper, American television director and producer
  • Steve Cropper (b. 1941), American guitarist for Booker T and the MGs, and a music producer
  • Jason Cropper (b. 1971), American musician, guitarist for Weezer
  • James Cropper (1773-1840), English philanthropist, son of Thomas and Rebecca Cropper, born in 1773 at Winstanley in Lancashire, where his family for many generations had been ‘statesmen’ [6]
  • James Cropper (1823-1900), English Liberal politician
  • Dene Cropper (b. 1983), former professional footballer
  • William Cropper (1862-1889), English cricketer and football player
  • Sir James Anthony Cropper (b. 1938), the current British Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria
  • Linda Cropper, Australian television actress
  • John Cropper (1797-1876), British philanthropist and abolitionist
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIMLAH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Simlah.htm
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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