Surname Kupper - Meaning and Origin
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Kupper: What does the surname Kupper mean?
The last name Kupper is of Germanic origin and is derived from either of two sources: Kupp or Kupper. Kupp is an occupational name that was given to a person who lived or worked on a hillside, while Kupper is derived from kupfern which means 'to cupel' or 'to refine' and suggests that the initial bearer of the name was a cupper, someone who refined metals. It is commonly found in areas of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The Kupper family migrated to the United States over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, along with many other German-speaking immigrants. Records from the 1880 US Federal Census indicate that around 8,000 Kupper families were living in the United States at the time. After the war, many of these families may have changed their names to the Americanized version of "Cooper."
Today, Kupper is a popular Americanized version of the German name. The Kupper name has spread to many other countries in the world, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other countries in Europe. Families with this last name are often characterized by their loyalty, steadfastness, and sincerity. They are usually believed to be hard-working, level-headed, and wise.
A few notable people with the last name Kupper include German industrialist Johannes Kupper, German composer, organist, and musicologist Peter Kupper, and American businessman and investor Robert Kupper.
Order DNA origin analysisKupper: Where does the name Kupper come from?
The surname Kupper appears to have French and Dutch origins. Although it is found mostly in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and other parts of Europe, its reach goes much farther. Kupper is a common surname in the Americas, particularly in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the highest concentration of individuals with the Kupper surname is found in New Jersey, followed by California, then New York.
In Canada, the name Kupper is most concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, followed by British Columbia. Within Europe, it is most prevalent in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria.
The last name Kupper is thought to have derived from places called Kupper in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. There are some families in which multiple generations have had this name, although this is not common.
The Kupper name appears mainly in records from the 17th century onwards. It appears in many places around the globe, a testament to the impact of emigration and migration of people from one country to another.
It appears that the majority of individuals with Kupper as their last name are of European descent, although those with more distant ancestries may have adopted this surname. Despite its prevalence in Europe, the last name Kupper is surprisingly common in today's world.
Variations of the surname Kupper
The surname Kupper is a German-Jewish surname. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Küpper, Kuepper, Kueper, Kuepfer, Kueffner, Kupfer, Kopperman and Küpferlein.
Küpper is the most common spelling which derived from Köpperen or Küpferen, an old regional dialect form of Kupfer (copper). This version of the surname is mostly found in the North Rhine-Westphalian region of Germany.
The version Küpferlein is the earliest recorded version of the surname which originates from the town of Arendsee located in Brandenburg. Recorded in 1275, the earliest known bearer of this surname was Gottfind von Küpferlein.
Kupfer is the most widespread form of the surname and is found in several countries. This is a Jewish adaptation from the same root word as Küpper. It is most commonly found in Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Kuepfer originated in southeastern Germany. This spelling may be found with individuals from southern Bavaria and Alsace.
Kopperman is a common Jewish spelling of the surname. It is common in southern Germany, particularly around the Palatinate and Franconia regions.
Kuepper is a Dutch spelling of the surname. This version is found in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States. It is also seen as a Dutch transformation from Köpper or Kieper.
Kueffner or Kuffer is an Assynianized spelling of the surname found in Eastern Europe. It is most common among Jewish individuals from Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Ukraine.
Thus, the various spellings and surnames of Kupper, Küpper, Kuepper, Kueper, Kuepfer, Kueffner, Kupfer, Kopperman and Küpferlein all have the same origin and denote an individual of German or Jewish ancestry.
Famous people with the name Kupper
- Heinz Kupper: Was a German lawyer, university professor of criminal law and law professor at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is known as the "father of modern criminal law."
- Monika Küpper: Was a German film actress, appearing in a number of Austrian, German and Italian feature films and TV movies from 1964 to 1981.
- Sonya Küpper: Was a German actress, best known for her roles in the ‘Manuela’ series of TV films from 1969–1974.
- Hermann Küpper: Was a German actor, appearing in a number of films and TV series between 1969 and 1986, including ‘Das Boot’ in 1981. 5.Inge Küpper: Was a German schoolteacher, amateur photographer and painter, best known for her photographic studies of the German working class in Lower Rhine region.
- Stephi Küpper: Is a German actress, appearing in a number of TV movies and series since 1990.
- Dr. Werner Küpper: Is a medical doctor, known for his research on tropical diseases and medical missions to Africa in the 1980s.
- Werner Küpper: Was a German painter, illustrator and graphic artist, known for his large watercolor and oil paintings from the late 1950s to the 1990s.