Show ContentsHoppen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hoppen is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a dancer. The surname Hoppen 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 Hoppen family

The surname Hoppen 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 Hoppen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoppen 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 Hoppen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoppen Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hoppen include Hopper, Hawper, Happer and others.

Early Notables of the Hoppen family

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

Ireland Migration of the Hoppen family to Ireland

Some of the Hoppen 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.


United States Hoppen migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Hoppen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Marie Hoppen, who arrived in Texas in 1840-1850 [6]
  • Maria Hoppen, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 [6]
  • Johanna Hoppen, aged 34, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 [6]


The Hoppen 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.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  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. 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)
  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)


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