Kopp
A surname with several Germanic roots, most often linked to “head” or used as a short form of Jakob.
The #3,232 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,628 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kopp is a Germanic surname with more than one possible source. In German, it can be connected to Kopf, meaning “head,” and related nickname forms based on a head-shaped or head-related term; some 19th-century writers also treated it as a shortened form of Jacob/Jakob. It may also reflect a broader Germanic personal-name base found in medieval bynames and diminutive forms.
History
The name is well attested in German-speaking areas and appears in older surname collections alongside related forms such as Koppe, Koppes, Köpke, and Köpp. It also spread into English-speaking countries through German and Jewish immigration, which helps explain its presence in the modern United States. Because the surname has multiple plausible explanations, its exact origin can vary by family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One historical surname dictionary groups Kopp with several names built from Kopf, showing how a simple everyday word like “head” could become a family name.
From the historical record
“Cobb. N. Kobbi, dimin. of Jakob. A.S. Cobba ; S. Kobbs ; Dch. Kop ; G. Kobe, Kober, Kopp, Kopper ; p.n. Cobb in Rot. Obi. et Fin. Cobbett, Cobett. Dimin. of”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)