Coppe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Coppe surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived on the top of a high hill. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word coppe, for a high hill or promontory. 1 2 3

It was also used as a word for a lookout; a place where an observer could see the landscape for miles around, and therefore be able to warn of an approaching army. As a place-name, it is largely extinct, except for one location; there is a Spying Copp outside of the Liverpool Soccer Stadium is a good place to watch the games for free.

Early Origins of the Coppe family

The surname Coppe was first found in Hampshire where Eduinus coppa was registered at Winton in 1148. Years later, Robert Coppe was registered in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1192 and Geoffrey Coppe was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Surrey in 1212. In Warwickshire, Roger de la Coppe was listed there in the Assize Rolls of 1221 and John atte Coppe was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. 4

Other sources note that the name is generally a name found in southern England in Cornwall 5, Devon and Dorset. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for that family, that of Roger Coppe who was listed in Dorset. 6 In Somerset, Richard Coppe was listed there 1 Edward III (in the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 7

In Norfolk, we found two entries for the family: John de la Coppe in the Feet of Fines for 1331 and Richard de la Coppe, who was rector of Oxburgh (1 Edward III.) 6

"The Copps have now their home in the Great Torrington district [of Devon]. Coppe was a common name in Littleham, Exmouth, in the 17th century (Webb), and even now the name is not uncommon in the town." 8

Early History of the Coppe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coppe research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1619 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Coppe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coppe 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 Coppe include Copp, Coppe, Copps, Coppes, Cop, Cops and others.

Early Notables of the Coppe family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Abiezer Coppe (1619-1672), an English Ranters and a writer of prophetic religious pamphlets...
He was born at Warwick on 30 May 1619 and was the son of Walter Coppe9...

Coppe 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:

Coppe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Coppe, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 10

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)