Show ContentsCoppage History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Coppage surname lived in the village of Kippax, a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This parish, in the Domesday Survey Chepesch, is situated near the river Aire, and comprises by computation 4000 acres: the soil is a light mould, resting on limestone, and the scenery is picturesque." 1

Early Origins of the Coppage family

The surname Coppage was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kippax, a large and important Norman village. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 2 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, Kippax, at the taking of the Domesday Book was held by Ilbert de Lacy, a Norman Baron, who was at the Battle of Hastings. and who was granted 150 lordships in Yorkshire in addition to the whole district known then as Blackburnshire in now Lancashire. His holdings included Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire. Conjecturally, the Kippax family surname descends from a relation of this Baron who held Kippax at that time.

Early rolls gave a glimpse of the many spellings used by the family at that time. The Pipe Rolls of 1190 included an entry for Alan de Kipais and later the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire included Richard de Kippax in 1347. Back in Yorkshire, John Kypas was listed there in 1441. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1370 listed Adam Kypas; Johannes de Kypax; Johanna Kepas; and Johannes de Kepax as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Coppage family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coppage research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1356, 1364, 1367, 1370, 1372, 1373, 1375, 1379, 1382, 1404, 1653 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Coppage History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coppage Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Coppage are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Coppage include: Kippax, Keepax, Kipax, Kepax, Kipas, Kypas, Kyppax, Kypax, Kipacks, Kepax, Kippacks, Cuppage, Cupage, Kippage, Kippash, Cuppash, Coppash, Cupacks and many more.

Early Notables of the Coppage family

Distinguished members of the family include John Keppock (died 1404), Irish judge who held the offices of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, in England in 1352, acted as counsel for the powerful Anglo-Irish Cusack family, became King's Serjeant (1356), became Lord Chief Baron (1364) and Lord Chief Justice (13670, In 1370 he stood down as Lord Chief Justice but remained...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coppage Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coppage Ranking

In the United States, the name Coppage is the 8,955th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5


United States Coppage migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coppage or a variant listed above:

Coppage Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Coppage, who landed in Virginia in 1648 6
Coppage Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ellen Coppage, aged 37, who arrived in New York, New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Adriatic (1871)" from Liverpool, England 7
Coppage Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Delmer Coppage, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "West Maximus" from Montevideo, Uraguay 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Coppage (post 1700) +

  • Melissa Coppage, American actress, known for Marvel Knights: Spider-Man (2015), Goodboy (2016) and The Walking Dead: Behind the Dead (2017)
  • Walter Coppage, American actor, known for The Chi (2018), Detroiters (2017) and All Creatures Here Below
  • Jeff Coppage, American actor, known for The Rookie (2018), Introducing Jodea (2021) and Something Bit Me (2022)
  • Terrence R. Coppage (1953-2014), birth name bartcop, an American liberal blogger from Tulsa, Oklahoma, active on the web since 1996 who produced his own internet radio show beginning in 2004
  • Alton Minor "Al" Coppage (1916-1992), American NFL football end from Pilot Point, Texas who played five seasons NFL and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) (1940-1947)
  • Khrystal Coppage, Amercian actress, known for her role in Are You Still Afraid of the Dark? (2019)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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