Cooper is a surname.
In England, it was occupational surname, that is, derived from an occupation; in this case the maker and repairer of wooden barrels, casks, vats, etc., known as a cooper. The name evolved from the Middle English couper or cowper, which in turn derives from Middle Dutch kūper (kūp meaning "tub container").
In Scotland, the name Cooper was derived from the town of Cupar, in Fife (originating from Cu—pyre, the enclosed or high fire). In the late 19th century, the name was distributed across England, but most common in three main regions: the northern midlands; Sussex and Hampshire; and Suffolk.
Related names are the Dutch Kuiper, and the German Kupfer, Kupper, and Kuper.
Contents
A
Adam Cooper (dancer) (born 1971), actor, choreographer, dancer and theater director
Adrian Cooper (born 1968), American football tight end
Adrienne Cooper (1946–2011), American Yiddish singer, musician and activist
Afua Cooper (born 1957), Jamaican-Canadian poet and academic
Alan Cooper (bishop) (1909–1999), British Anglican bishop
Alan Cooper (software designer) (born 1952), American creator of Visual Basic
Alan Cooper (biblical scholar), American
Albert Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Alex Cooper (architect) (born 1936), American architect
Alex Cooper (footballer) (born 1991), Scottish footballer
Alexander Cooper (1609–1660), English painter
Alfred Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Alice Cooper (born 1948), born Vincent Damon Furnier, American Singer and musician
Alison Cooper (born 1966), British businesswoman
Allen Foster Cooper (1838–1918), American politician
Amari Cooper (born 1994), American football wide receiver
B
Barbara Cooper (politician) (1929–2022), American politician
Barbara Cooper (RAF officer) (born 1959), British Royal Air Force officer
Barry Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Ben Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Bernard Cooper (born 1951), American novelist
Bert Cooper (American football) (born 1952), American football player
Bert Cooper (1966–2019), American boxer
Bertie Cooper (1892–1916), Australian rules footballer
Besse Cooper (1896–2012), American supercentenarian and world's oldest person during 2011–2012
Bette Cooper (1924–2017), Miss America 1937
Bill and Billy Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Bill Cooper (American football) (born 1939), professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers
Bill Cooper (hurler) (born 1987), Irish hurler
Billy Cooper (footballer) (1917–1978), English footballer
Billy Cooper (Canadian football) (born 1945), Canadian football player
Billy Cooper (trumpeter), cricket supporter and trumpet player for the Barmy Army
C
Caitlin Cooper (born 1988), Australian soccer player
Calico Cooper (born 1981), American actor, dancer, and singer, the daughter of rock singer Alice Cooper and dancer Sheryl Cooper
Camille Cooper (born 1979), American basketball player
Carl Cooper (born 1960), British Anglican bishop
Carolyn Cooper (born 1950), Jamaican author
Cary Cooper (born 1940), American-born British psychologist
Cathy Cooper (born 1960), American artist
Cec Cooper (1926–2010), Australian rugby league footballer
Cecil Cooper (bishop) (1882–1964), British Bishop
Cecil Cooper (born 1949), American baseball player
Charles Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Charlotte Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Chris Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Christin Cooper (born 1959), American skier
Clarence Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Colin Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Colm Cooper (born 1983), Irish Gaelic footballer
D
Dalton Cooper (born 2001), American football player
Daniel C. Cooper (1773–1818), early American surveyor and politician
Darius Cooper (born 2001), American football player
Darryl Cooper, American historian
D. B. Cooper, epithet for an unknown airline hijacker from 1971. Also known as Dan Cooper
D. C. Cooper (born 1965), American heavy metal singer
D. J. Cooper (born 1990), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
David Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Darren Cooper (died 2016), British Labour Party politician
Dennis Cooper (born 1953), American poet and writer
Dewey Cooper (born 1974), American kickboxer and boxer
Lady Diana Cooper (1892–1986), British actress
Dolores G. Cooper (1922–1999), American politician
Dominic Cooper (born 1978), British actor
Don Cooper (born 1957), American baseball player
Don Cooper (curler) (born c.1942), American curler
Douglas Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
E
Earl Cooper (1886–1965), American race car driver
Eddie Cooper (actor) (born 1987), British actor
Eddie Cooper (cricketer) (1915–1968), English cricketer
Edmund Cooper (1926–1982), English writer
Edward Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Edwin Cooper (1785–1833), English artist
Ethan Cooper, American football player
Elizabeth Cooper (died 1960), Filipino-American actress
Emma Lampert Cooper (1855–1920), American painter
Eric Cooper (1966–2019), American professional baseball umpire
Eric Thirkell Cooper, British soldier and war poet during World War 1
F
Frank Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Frederic Taber Cooper (1864–1937), American writer, editor and academic
Frederick Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
G
G. Cooper (Surrey cricketer), English amateur cricketer
Gareth Cooper, Wales rugby union player
Garrett Cooper, American baseball player
Gary Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
George Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Gladys Cooper (1888–1971), English actress
Gordon Cooper (1927–2004), American astronaut
Graham Cooper (cricketer) (1936–2012), English cricketer
Grant Cooper (born 1982), Spanish millionaire
Grey Cooper (1720–1801), English politician
H
Harry Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Helen Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Helene Cooper (born 1966), Liberian-American author and journalist
Henry Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Hugh Lincoln Cooper (1865–1937), American engineer
Humility Cooper, English passenger on the Mayflower
I
Ian Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Imogen Cooper, English pianist
Ivan Cooper (1944–2019), Northern Ireland politician
J
Jack Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Jacki Cooper (born 1967), English-born Australian jazz singer
Jackie Cooper (1922–2011), American actor
Jacqui Cooper (born 1973), Australian skier
Jade Holland Cooper (born 1986/1987), British fashion designer
James Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Jeanne Cooper (1928–2013), American actress
Jeff Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Jenny Cooper (born 1974), Canadian actress
Jenny Cooper (lawyer), corporate lawyer and Queen's Counsel from New Zealand
Jere Cooper (1893–1957), American politician
Jeremiah Cooper (born 2004), American football player
Jerry W. Cooper (1948–2020), American politician
Jessica Cooper (born 1967), British artist
Jessie Cooper (1914–1993), Australian politician
Jillie Cooper (born 1988), Scottish badminton player
Jilly Cooper (1937–2025), English writer
Jim Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
K
Kate Cooper, historian
Katharine Cooper Cater
Keith Cooper (referee) (born 1948), Welsh football referee
Keith D. Cooper, American computer scientist
Keith Cooper (American football) (born 2003), American football player
Kendall Cooper (born 2002), Canadian ice hockey player
Kenneth H. Cooper (born 1931), American Air Force colonel, doctor and aerobics pioneer
Kenny Cooper (born 1984), American soccer player
Kenny Cooper Sr. (born 1946), former English soccer goalkeeper and coach
Kevin Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Kevon Cooper (born 1989), Trinidadian cricketer
Kitty Cooper, American bridge player
Korey Cooper (born 1972), American musician, member of Skillet
Kyle Cooper (born 1962), American designer of motion picture title sequences
Kyle Cooper (rugby union) (born 1989), South African rugby union player
L
Lamart Cooper (born 1973), American football player
Leigh Cooper (born 1961), English footballer
Leo Cooper (born 1922), Polish-born Australian historian
Leo Cooper (1934–2013), British publisher
Leon Cooper (1930–2024), American physicist
Les Cooper (1921–2013), American musician
Lettice Cooper (1897–1994), English writer
Levi Cooper – The Maggid of Melbourne, Australian Orthodox Jewish teacher
Lindsay Cooper (1951–2013), English musician (bassoon and oboe), composer and activist
Lindsay L. Cooper (1940–2001), Scottish musician (double-bass and cello)
Lionel Cooper, Australian rugby league player
Lionel Cooper (1915–1979), South African mathematician
Lisa Cooper (born 1963), American physician
Louise Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
M
MacDella Cooper (born 1977), Liberian philanthropist
Malcolm Cooper (1947–2001), British sport shooter
Malcolm Cooper (footballer), Aboriginal Australian footballer
Marc Cooper, American journalist and blogger
Margot Cooper (1918–2010), British woman soldier
Marianne Leone Cooper (born 1952), American actress
Mark Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Marquis Cooper (1982–2009), American football player
Martha Cooper (born c. 1940), American photojournalist
Martin Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Mary Cooper (died 1761), English bookseller and publisher
Matt Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Matthew Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Maurice Cooper (1898–1918), British military aviator
Merian C. Cooper (1893–1973), American movie actor, director, screenwriter and producer
Michael Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Mike Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
N
Nancy Cooper, American journalist, editor of Newsweek
Nathan Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Neale Cooper (born 1963), Scottish football manager
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury (born 1979), Earl of Shaftesbury
O
Ollie Cooper (born 1999), English footballer
Ollie Cooper (born 2000), English professional boxer
Omar Cooper (born 2003), American football player
Owen Cooper (boxer) (born 2000), English boxer
Owen Cooper (actor) (born 2009), English actor
P
Pat Cooper (1929–2023), American comedian
Pat Cooper (baseball) (1917–1993), American baseball player
Patience Cooper (1905–1993), Indian actress
Paul Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Paulette Cooper (born 1944), American journalist
Pell Cooper, American judge
Peter Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Philip Cooper (1885–1950), English cricketer
Philip H. Cooper (1844–1912), American admiral
Priscilla Cooper Tyler (1816–1889), de facto First Lady of USA 1842–44
Q
Quade Cooper (born 1988), Australian rugby union player
R
R. Clarke Cooper (born 1971), American diplomat
Ray Cooper (born 1942), English musician
Revel Cooper (died 1983), Australian artist
Richard Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Riley Cooper (born 1987), US American Football player
Risteárd Cooper, Irish comedian
Robert Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Robert S. Cooper (1932–2007), American engineer and director of NASA and DARPA
Roger Cooper (politician) (born 1944), Minnesota politician
Roger Cooper (paleontologist) (1939–2020), New Zealand paleontologist
Rosa Cooper (1829–1877), English actress in Australia.
Rosie Cooper (born 1950), British politician
Roxanne Cooper, British singer
Roy Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Rusi Cooper (1922–2023), Indian cricketer
Russell Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
S
Samuel Cooper (clergyman) (born 1725)
Samuel Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Sarah Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Selina Cooper (1864–1946), English suffragist and politician
Shane Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Shani Cooper, Israeli diplomat
Sharife Cooper (born 2001), American basketball player
Shaun Cooper (born 1983), English footballer
Sherry Cooper, Canadian-American, Chief Economist of BMO Capital Markets
Sheryl Cooper (born c. 1957), American dancer and stage performer, wife of rock singer Alice Cooper
(Thomas) Sidney Cooper (1803–1902), English painter
Simon Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Stoney Cooper (1918–1977), American country musician
Susan Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Steve Cooper (football manager) (born 1979), Welsh football manager
T
Tarzan Cooper (1907–1980), American basketball player
Te'a Cooper (born 1997), American basketball player
Terence Cooper (1933–1997), Northern Irish actor
Terry Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1944) (1944–2021), with Leeds United
Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1950), Welsh footballer with Lincoln City
Theodore Cooper (1839–1919), American engineer
Thomas Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people, including
Thomas Cooper (American politician, born 1759) (1759–1840), American educationalist and political philosopher in South Carolina
Thomas Cooper (American politician, born 1764) (1764–1829), U.S. congressman from Delaware
Thomas Cooper (bishop) (c. 1517–1594), English bishop of Lincoln and Winchester
Thomas Cooper (brewer) (1826–1897), founder of Coopers Brewery
Thomas Cooper (Parliamentarian) (died 1659), colonel in the Parliamentary Army and politician
Thomas Cooper (poet) (1805–1892), English poet and Chartist
Thomas Cooper de Leon (1839–1914), American journalist, author and playwright
W
Walker Cooper (1915–1991), American baseball player
Walter Gaze Cooper (1895–1981), British pianist and composer
Warren Cooper (born 1933), New Zealand politician
Whina Cooper (1895–1994), New Zealand Māori leader
Wilbur Cooper (1892–1973), American baseball player
W. E. Shewell-Cooper (1900–1982), British organic gardener
Wilhelmina Cooper (1939–1980), American model
William Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people
Wilson Marion Cooper (died 1916), American Sacred Harp teacher
Wyatt Emory Cooper (1927–1978), American screenwriter
Wyllis Cooper (1899–1955), American radio writer
Y
Yvette Cooper (born 1969), British Labour Party politician and 2015 Labour leadership contender
Fictional characters
Alison Cooper, character from Ghosts 2019 TV series
Barbara Cooper, character from One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)
Betty Cooper, character from Archie Comics
Buzz Cooper, character from the soap opera Guiding Light
Dale Cooper, character from the TV show Twin Peaks
Gwen Cooper, character from the Doctor Who spinoff series Torchwood
Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper, character from The Wonder Years TV Series
Harriet Cooper, character from the 1966 Batman series
Joseph Cooper, character from the 2014 movie Interstellar
Kaitlin Cooper, character from the TV series The O.C.
Lauren Cooper, character in The Catherine Tate Show
Marina Cooper, character from the soap opera Guiding Light
Marissa Cooper, character from the TV series The O.C.
Mark Cooper, character from the TV series Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Mike Cooper, character from the 2019 TV series Ghosts
Miss Cooper, a.k.a. Seki-sensei, a character from the Japanese anime Ojamajo Doremi



