Hoppin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Hoppin finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a dancer. The surname Hoppin is derived from the Old English word hoppian, which means to hop, to leap, or to dance. 1

"The name of Hopper is also established in Cambridgeshire and Devonshire. In the 13th century it occurred as Le Hoppere, or Le Hopper, in Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, etc." 2

Early Origins of the Hoppin family

The surname Hoppin was first found in Wiltshire, where Edric le Hoppere was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1203 and later in the Curia Regis Rolls for Worcester in 1204. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings for the family: Richard le Hoppare Oxfordshire; Gerard le Hopper, Suffolk; and Reginald le Hopper, Cambridgeshire. 4

Further to the north in Scotland, "Robert Hopper received the acre of land called Stampardesakyr in the territory of Coldingham, and in 1275 witnessed a charter of lands in Raynigton to the Abbey of Coldstream. The name of a burgess family of good standing in Edinburgh from beginning of the fifteenth century. David Hopper held a tenement in the burgh in 1486, and Adam Hoppar was a notary public in the diocese of St. Andrews in 1524." 5

Early History of the Hoppin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoppin research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1254, 1275, 1388, 1540, 1559, 1581, 1593, 1628, 1668, 1687, 1799, 1803, 1834 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hoppin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoppin 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. Hoppin has been recorded under many different variations, including Hopper, Hawper, Happer and others.

Early Notables of the Hoppin family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoppin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hoppin family to Ireland

Some of the Hoppin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoppin 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 Hoppin or a variant listed above:

Hoppin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Stephen Hoppin, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1653 6

Hoppin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

T Hoppin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6

The Hoppin 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: Subditus fidelis regis est salus regni
Motto Translation: A faithful subject of the king is a preserver of the monarchy.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)