Hoper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Hoper family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of the various settlements of Hope found in Derbyshire, Shropshire, and the North Riding of Yorkshire, among other places, or in or near a raised area of land in a fen, or a small, enclosed valley. The surname Hoper is derived from the Old English word "hop" which means "the side of a hill, or low ground between hills." 1 In Scotland, "hope" means "glen." 2

Early Origins of the Hoper family

The surname Hoper was first found in Shropshire where Robert de Hope was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255. John atte hop was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and later Robert del Hope was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1302. 3

Roger de la Hope was found in the Hundredorum Rolls for Herefordshire in 1273. 4

In Somerset, John atte Hope, Walter atte Hope and Edith atte Hope were listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign) 5 and Alicia de Hope was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

In Scotland, "John Hope of Peeblesshire rendered homage [to King Edward I of England], 1296, and Symon de la Hope was received to the king of England's peace in 1321. " 6

Early History of the Hoper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoper research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1567, 1573, 1590, 1605, 1606, 1614, 1643, 1646, 1654, 1661, 1678, 1681, 1742, 1844, 1860, 1902 and 1908 are included under the topic Early Hoper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoper Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hoper include Hope, Hopes and others.

Early Notables of the Hoper family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet Hope of Craighall (1573-1646), a Scottish lawyer, Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1643. He was the son of an eminent Edinburgh merchant, Henry Hope, and his French wife, Jacqueline de Tott. His eldest son, Sir John Hope, Lord Craighall (1605?-1654) was a Scottish judge. His second oldest son, Sir Thomas Hope of Kerse (1606-1643) was...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoper Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hoper family to Ireland

Some of the Hoper family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoper migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hoper or a variant listed above:

Hoper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Hoper, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 7

Hoper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Hoper, who landed in America in 1843 7
Bernh Hein r Hoper, who arrived in America in 1843 7
Heinrich Hoper, aged 28, who landed in America in 1853 7
Adolf Hoper, who landed in Iowa in 1888 7

The Hoper 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: At spes infracta
Motto Translation: Yet my hope is unbroken.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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.
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)
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)