Show ContentsKopp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Similar to many Austrian family names, the distinguished surname Kopp is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Austria were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Kopp is derived from the Hebrew personal name Jacob, meaning supplanter.

Early Origins of the Kopp family

The surname Kopp was first found in Austria, where the family rose to prominence early in the mediaeval era. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Kopp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kopp research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1804, 1816 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Kopp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kopp Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Kopp include Kopp, Koepp, Kop, Koep, Koppe, Koeppe, Kope, Koepe, Koeppen, Koppen and many more.

Early Notables of the Kopp family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Kopp were

  • Franz von Kopp, who distinguished himself as a major general in the Prussian army in the 19th century

Kopp Ranking

In the United States, the name Kopp is the 3,463rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Kopp is ranked the 4,481st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2


United States Kopp migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kopp or a variant listed above:

Kopp Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Kopp, who settled in America in 1738
  • Johann Kopp, who landed in Carolina in 1738 3
  • Samuel Eberhart Kopp, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
  • Jacob Kopp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
  • Daniel Kopp, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kopp Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Freidrich Kopp, aged 13, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Christina Magdalena Kopp, aged 34, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Adam Friedrich Kopp, aged 39, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Justina Margaret Kopp, aged 4, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Kopp, who arrived in America in 1834 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kopp (post 1700) +

  • Stephen J. Kopp Ph.D., (1951-2014), American academic, 39th President of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia (2005-)
  • Sheldon Kopp (1929-1999), American psychotherapist and author
  • Quentin Lewis Kopp (b. 1928), American politician and retired judge
  • Nancy K. Kopp (b. 1943), American politician, 23rd Treasurer of Maryland (2002-)
  • Harold W. "Hal" Kopp (1909-1998), American football coach
  • David M Kopp (b. 1965), American educator
  • Gerald W. Kopp, American politician, Representative from North Dakota at-large, 1986 4
  • Donald Lee Kopp, American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates, 1965-78, 1981-82; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1972; Clerk of the House of Delegates, 1983 4
  • Don Kopp, American Republican politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 35th District; Elected 2010 4
  • Arthur William Kopp (1874-1967), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 3rd District, 1909-13; State Court Judge in Wisconsin, 1942 4
  • ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Ewald Köpp (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5


Suggested Readings for the name Kopp +

  • The German Ancestry of William Frederick Heuss and Mary Catherine Kopp by John Sanford Heuss.
  • Virginia to Ohio and States West by Mary Mae Cupp Campbell.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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