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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Cooper

Cooper

♀ Girl

Pronounced KOO-per /ˈku.pɚ/Medium

Meaning: Barrel makerMedium

In 30 seconds: Cooper is an English occupational name meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningBarrel maker
U.S. rank (2025)#1244 β†— Rising
2025 U.S. births181 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 2,782

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 202519852025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name began as a job description: a cooper was a craftsman who made barrels and casks. Like many English surnames, it fixed onto families and only later became a first name. Its meaning stays rooted in that practical trade.

Used for a girl, it keeps the brisk, sturdy feel that has made occupational surnames popular as given names.

Did you know? Cooper likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Cooper β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Cooper…

Spencerβ€” a fellow English choice
Ryderβ€” echoes that soft -er sound
Heatherβ€” another English name
Tylerβ€” a fellow English choice
Pepperβ€” shares Cooper's English roots

Explore names like Cooper

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cooper mean?

Cooper is usually explained as meaning 'barrel maker' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Cooper?

It's commonly said KOO-per /ˈku.pɚ/.

Is Cooper a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Cooper is used as a girl name.

How popular is Cooper?

In 2024, Cooper ranked #1501 in the U.S. for girls, with 144 births recorded.

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