cooper

Cooper is both a surname and a given name. As an occupational surname, it originated from the medieval trade of making barrels, casks, and firkins; a cooper was a craftsman who shaped staves and fitted hoops to create watertight containers. The name spread with English-speaking populations and is now common in several countries.

Notable people with the surname include James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851), an American author best known for The Last of the Mohicans; Gary Cooper (1901–1961), an American film actor and Academy Award winner.

Cooper is also used as a given name, particularly in the United States, and has become a popular first name in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Place names: Cooper is the name of several towns and communities in the United States, reflecting the surname's prominence. In addition, the term appears in company titles and product names, and in popular culture as a surname for fictional characters.