The Family Name of Cooper

     The system of adding a surname to a person's first name was introduced to Brtain by the Normans in the 11th century. With the limited number of Christian names availble at that time, there were often many people with the same first name living in the same area, so surnames were added for ease of identification. The most usual method was to add either the father's first name; the person's occupation; the place of birth or residence, or a nickname.
     Cooper is an occupational name, from the Middle English word "couper" meaning a maker or repairer of wooden casks, barrels, buckets or tubs. Records show a Robert le Cupere in the Pipe Rools in Surrey in 1176, a Selide le Copere in the Pipe Rolls in Norfolk in 1181, and a William le Coupere in the Subsidy Rolls in Sussex in 1296.
     The ancient family motto was the Latin phrase, Vide et Fortitudine, which means "By fidelity and Fortitude."
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