Contents [hide]

Soper History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Soper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Soper family

The surname Soper was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Woodlands, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Soper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Soper research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1698 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Soper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Soper Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Soper, Souper, Soaper, Super and others.

Early Notables of the Soper family

More information is included under the topic Early Soper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Soper World Ranking

In the United States, the name Soper is the 4,985^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Soper is ranked the 361^st most popular surname with an estimated 128 people with that name. [2] And in New Zealand, the name Soper is the 996^th popular surname with an estimated 758 people with that name. [3]

Soper migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Soper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Greg Soper, who landed in Virginia in 1637 [4]
John Soper, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 [4]

Soper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elias Soper, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 [4]

Soper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

D. Soper, who arrived in New York in 1822
Mr. C. Soper, (b. 1813), aged 28, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 [5]
Thomas Soper, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 [4]
Mrs. Ann Soper, (b. 1802), aged 47, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 23rd August 1849 [5]
Miss Elizabeth Jane Soper, (b. 1833), aged 16, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 23rd August 1849 [5]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Soper migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Soper Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Soper, who settled in Cupids, Newfoundland from Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1760
Mr. Samuel Soper U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1783 he served in Butler's Rangers, married to Bathsheba, he died in 1785 in Quebec [6]
Mrs. Bathsheba Soper U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 married to Samuel Soper, he died in 1785, she went on to remarry and became Mrs. Bathsheba Willson [6]
Mr. Joseph Soper U.E., (Sopher) (b. 1762) who settled in Sophiasburgh & Ameliasburgh [Prince Edward County], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the Queen's Rangers with Captain Kerr's Company, married in 1765 to Mary Soper having 1 child [6]
Mr. Leonard Soper U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 [6]

Soper Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jonas Soper was the Captain of Cupid's, Newfoundland in 1824 [7]

Soper migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Soper Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Soper, (b. 1801), aged 19, English farmer who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1877 [8]
Mr. John Soper, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
Edward Soper, English convict from Devon, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [10]
John Soper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1839 [11]
Rebecca Soper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1839 [11]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Soper migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Soper Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Soper, (b. 1851), aged 28, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [12]
Hannah Soper, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 [13]
Mrs. Soper, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tainui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in December 1890 [12]
Miss L. Soper, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tainui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in December 1890 [12]
Miss A. Soper, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tainui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in December 1890 [12]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Soper migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [14]

Soper Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Soper, who arrived in Barbados in 1660

Contemporary Notables of the name Soper (post 1700) +

J. Mason Soper (b. 1858), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Eaton County 1st District, 1899-1900 [15]
Hiram J. Soper, American politician, Mayor of Laurel, Maryland, 1958-62 [15]
Henry L. Soper, American politician, Representative from Connecticut 1st District, 1886 [15]
George J. Soper, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 18th District, 1897 [15]
Frank M. Soper, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Delaware, 1908, 1916 [15]
Edmund D. Soper, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to Ohio convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 [15]
E. W. Soper, American politician, Mayor of Chino, California, 1940, 1952 [15]
Daniel E. Soper, American politician, Secretary of State of Michigan, 1891 [15]
Ada Agnes Soper, American Republican politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Littleton; Elected 1938 [15]
Abram D. Soper, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Tyler County, 1864 [15]
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CAROLINE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Caroline.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html