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Copper Family History

Copper Surname Meaning

English (Kent and Surrey): occupational name either from Middle English copere, a variant of cupere ‘cooper maker or seller of casks, buckets, and tubs’, found late as copper, or from Middle English copper, cupper ‘maker of cups and small vessels’ (Old Norse koppari).

English: in Sussex and perhaps the adjacent counties, probably also a variant of Coppard, either from a Middle English (from Old French, Middle Dutch, or both) personal name Coppard (an extended form of Cop, a pet form of Jacob) or perhaps from Middle English cop(e), coppe ‘top, head’ + the pejorative suffix -ard, perhaps for someone with a large head.

Altered form of German Kopper.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Copper family from?

You can see how Copper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Copper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Copper families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 121 Copper families living in Kent. This was about 16% of all the recorded Copper's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Copper families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Copper surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Copper ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Copper. 16% of Copper men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Copper women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Copper were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Copper | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    16%
  • Gardener
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Copper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Copper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Copper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Copper

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Copper. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Copper immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Copper. For the veterans among your Copper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Copper military records

You've only scratched the surface of Copper family history

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What is the average Copper lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Copper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Copper in 1953 was 44, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Copper

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Copper ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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