Fun Facts About the Name Cooper
- Gaining ground: Cooper remained in the U.S. top 100 for 19 consecutive years, from 2007 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 23 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 126 thousand babies named Cooper: U.S. records list 126,457 babies given the name Cooper from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,782 girls received the name Cooper - about 1 girl for every 44 boys.
What Does the Name Cooper Mean?
Cooper is an English occupational name meaning barrel maker - more precisely, a maker and repairer of barrels, casks, and similar wooden containers. It comes from Middle English couper, a term for that craftsman. The Middle English word was borrowed from Middle Dutch cuper or Middle Low German kuper, both meaning "cask maker," from a Germanic word for a cask or tub. That word traces back to Latin cupa, "cask, barrel." The literal occupational sense is "barrel maker"; the similar-looking English verb cooperate is unrelated. As a first name, Cooper is a transferred use of the surname rather than a distinct original given name.
Cooper Name History & Origins
Cooper began as an occupational surname in medieval England. A cooper was a skilled craftsman who made and repaired barrels, casks, vats, and tubs - staved wooden containers bound with metal hoops. These containers were used for storing and shipping wine, beer, spirits, salted meat, and other goods, so the trade was important in towns and ports. In the later Middle Ages, English surnames often became hereditary, and a man's trade could pass into his family's surname. The surname appears in forms such as Couper and Cowper, and it is found in England and later in Scotland, Ireland, and English-speaking countries.
As a given name, Cooper is a transferred use of the surname. Surnames began to be used as first names in English-speaking countries, and Cooper followed that pattern. It is used as a first name in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It is separate from the surname's bearers, such as the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper and the actor Gary Cooper; those men did not bear Cooper as a first name.
How Popular is the Name Cooper?
Cooper recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Cooper entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2007.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,244 | 181 | 0.0113% |
| 2024 | #1,501 | 144 | 0.0089% |
| 2023 | #1,386 | 162 | 0.0101% |
| 2022 | #1,498 | 145 | 0.0088% |
| 2021 | #1,613 | 130 | 0.0079% |
| 2020 | #1,721 | 117 | 0.0072% |
| 2019 | #1,924 | 103 | 0.0061% |
| 2018 | #1,852 | 109 | 0.0064% |
| 2017 | #1,995 | 99 | 0.0057% |
| 2016 | #1,704 | 125 | 0.0071% |
| 2015 | #1,854 | 111 | 0.0062% |
| 2014 | #1,716 | 122 | 0.0068% |
| 2013 | #1,882 | 107 | 0.0061% |
| 2012 | #1,921 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 2011 | #1,860 | 108 | 0.0061% |
| 2010 | #2,261 | 85 | 0.0048% |
| 2009 | #2,515 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 2008 | #1,790 | 122 | 0.0065% |
| 2007 | #2,041 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2006 | #2,641 | 68 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #2,533 | 68 | 0.0037% |
| 2004 | #2,158 | 83 | 0.0045% |
| 2003 | #3,306 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 2002 | #3,907 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2001 | #4,589 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #4,555 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1999 | #5,072 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1998 | #5,181 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1997 | #4,251 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #4,767 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1995 | #5,262 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #4,271 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #13,929 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,631 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #10,502 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,192 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1988 | #5,971 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #8,527 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #27 | 7,472 | 0.4375% |
| 2024 | #50 | 5,699 | 0.3322% |
| 2023 | #52 | 5,441 | 0.3185% |
| 2022 | #53 | 5,628 | 0.3226% |
| 2021 | #68 | 4,673 | 0.2673% |
| 2020 | #75 | 4,592 | 0.2662% |
| 2019 | #80 | 4,555 | 0.2540% |
| 2018 | #83 | 4,473 | 0.2464% |
| 2017 | #88 | 4,617 | 0.2495% |
| 2016 | #79 | 4,974 | 0.2622% |
| 2015 | #77 | 5,272 | 0.2751% |
| 2014 | #86 | 4,850 | 0.2525% |
| 2013 | #84 | 4,898 | 0.2590% |
| 2012 | #83 | 5,194 | 0.2739% |
| 2011 | #82 | 5,176 | 0.2726% |
| 2010 | #75 | 5,260 | 0.2742% |
| 2009 | #84 | 5,072 | 0.2557% |
| 2008 | #92 | 5,051 | 0.2476% |
| 2007 | #96 | 4,622 | 0.2227% |
| 2006 | #113 | 3,747 | 0.1823% |
| 2005 | #120 | 3,393 | 0.1699% |
| 2004 | #133 | 3,045 | 0.1534% |
| 2003 | #167 | 2,368 | 0.1199% |
| 2002 | #196 | 1,931 | 0.0995% |
| 2001 | #202 | 1,803 | 0.0928% |
| 2000 | #241 | 1,405 | 0.0715% |
| 1999 | #261 | 1,190 | 0.0620% |
| 1998 | #254 | 1,177 | 0.0616% |
| 1997 | #315 | 839 | 0.0445% |
| 1996 | #363 | 668 | 0.0353% |
| 1995 | #375 | 632 | 0.0332% |
| 1994 | #439 | 518 | 0.0268% |
| 1993 | #491 | 426 | 0.0217% |
| 1992 | #546 | 349 | 0.0175% |
| 1991 | #625 | 267 | 0.0132% |
| 1990 | #706 | 208 | 0.0101% |
| 1989 | #749 | 174 | 0.0087% |
| 1988 | #786 | 145 | 0.0076% |
| 1987 | #794 | 136 | 0.0073% |
| 1986 | #886 | 105 | 0.0057% |
| 1985 | #857 | 110 | 0.0060% |
| 1984 | #918 | 92 | 0.0051% |
| 1983 | #1,051 | 71 | 0.0040% |
| 1982 | #991 | 83 | 0.0046% |
| 1981 | #1,274 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1980 | #1,293 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1979 | #1,306 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 1978 | #2,215 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #1,831 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #2,186 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1975 | #2,146 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #1,799 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1973 | #2,327 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1972 | #2,687 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #1,931 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1970 | #2,008 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1969 | #2,571 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #2,344 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #3,304 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #2,061 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #1,522 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1964 | #1,441 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1963 | #1,912 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1962 | #3,091 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,338 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1960 | #2,338 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #3,084 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #3,332 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #2,670 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #2,106 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1955 | #1,985 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #2,336 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #1,974 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1952 | #2,556 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #1,737 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1950 | #3,782 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #2,648 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #2,480 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #2,095 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1946 | #1,647 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1945 | #1,867 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1944 | #2,337 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1943 | #2,774 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #2,168 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1941 | #2,106 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1940 | #2,513 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1939 | #1,975 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1938 | #1,529 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1937 | #2,522 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #1,599 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1935 | #1,778 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1934 | #2,295 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1933 | #2,400 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1932 | #2,348 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1931 | #2,350 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1930 | #1,909 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #1,572 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1928 | #2,893 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1927 | #2,059 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1926 | #1,803 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1925 | #1,948 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1924 | #2,064 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1923 | #2,039 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #1,837 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1921 | #1,923 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1920 | #1,767 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1919 | #1,541 | 23 | 0.0023% |
| 1918 | #1,455 | 25 | 0.0025% |
| 1917 | #2,004 | 15 | 0.0016% |
| 1916 | #1,602 | 20 | 0.0022% |
| 1915 | #1,671 | 18 | 0.0021% |
| 1914 | #2,136 | 10 | 0.0015% |
| 1913 | #1,599 | 12 | 0.0023% |
| 1912 | #1,032 | 20 | 0.0047% |
| 1911 | #1,133 | 10 | 0.0044% |
| 1910 | #1,058 | 10 | 0.0051% |
| 1909 | #1,035 | 9 | 0.0055% |
| 1905 | #1,274 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1900 | #1,197 | 6 | 0.0040% |
| 1898 | #1,028 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1896 | #1,130 | 5 | 0.0042% |
| 1895 | #1,116 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1894 | #1,117 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1889 | #1,000 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1887 | #959 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1886 | #866 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1885 | #714 | 8 | 0.0074% |
| 1882 | #860 | 6 | 0.0053% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Cooper
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Cooper Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Cooper's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cooper's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.