Hi, As a change from wanting to know if I required the new Newsletter, <BG> I was recently asked the derivation of my surname "COOPER" so here is my attempt :-- origins & meanings: 1. Latin language = Cask 2. 'Old English' language = Barrel maker An English occupational name for a maker and repairer of wooden vessels such as barrels, tubs, buckets, casks, and vats, from 'Middle English' couper, cowper (apparently from Middle Dutch kūper, a derivative of kūp ‘tub’, ‘ container’, which was borrowed independently into English as 'coop'). The prevalence of the surname, its cognates, and equivalents bears witness to the fact that this was one of the chief specialist trades in the Middle Ages throughout Europe. The skill to make a container was determined by the use to be made of the container. Thus :-- The “Barrel” Cooper would make closed Barrels which could be sealed to hold liquids such as Wines and Spirits. This was a very skilled job. The “Wet” Cooper would make open Buckets to hold liquids such as Water. The “Dry” Cooper would make any other type of container to hold Fruit, Vegetables,Hen Coops etc. Until people in general could read and write, surnames were written as they sounded to the local Priest when registering Births, Marriages and Deaths. I have found Cooper, Cowper, Cowap, Cowp, Coop, Couper and there are probably more. In those days of high illiteracy, the “Form Fillers” would also have to deal with people whose accent was much broader than it is now. This would cause even more “phonetic guesses” My own research has shown that my forefathers were called Cowper in the 1600s, and Cooper thereafter. Ricky Cooper in Merrie England.

Ricky- I am particularly interested in the Middle Dutch kuper. My line of Coopers had always assumed they were English, but research has shown that the name was originally spelled Kuper or Kupfer, and they came from Germany/Holland. Gini, in merry Maryland > Hi, > As a change from wanting to know if I required the new Newsletter, <BG> > I was recently asked the derivation of my surname "COOPER" so here is my > attempt :-- > origins & meanings: > 1. Latin language = Cask > 2. 'Old English' language = Barrel maker > An English occupational name for a maker and repairer of wooden vessels > such as barrels, tubs, buckets, casks, and vats, from 'Middle English' > couper, > cowper (apparently from Middle Dutch kūper, a derivative of kūp ‘tub’, ‘ > container’, which was borrowed independently into English as 'coop'). The > prevalence of the surname, its cognates, and equivalents bears witness to > the fact that this was one of the chief specialist trades in the Middle > Ages throughout Europe. > The skill to make a container was determined by the use to be made of the > container. Thus :-- > The “Barrel” Cooper would make closed Barrels which could be sealed to > hold > liquids such as Wines and Spirits. This was a very skilled job. > The “Wet” Cooper would make open Buckets to hold liquids such as Water. > The “Dry” Cooper would make any other type of container to hold Fruit, > Vegetables,Hen Coops etc. > Until people in general could read and write, surnames were written as > they > sounded to the local Priest when registering Births, Marriages and > Deaths. I > have found Cooper, Cowper, Cowap, Cowp, Coop, Couper and there are > probably more. In those days of high illiteracy, the “Form Fillers” would > also have to deal with people whose accent was much broader than it is > now. This would > cause even more “phonetic guesses” . > My own research has shown that my forefathers were called Cowper in the > 1600s, and Cooper thereafter. > Ricky Cooper in Merrie England.