Hopkins Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Hopkins last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Hopkins last name
Meaning of the Hopkins last name: son of Hopkin, little Robert. Hopkins is a patronymic from Hopkin, a medieval pet form of Robert, with the diminutive -kin added to Hob or Hop. It is most common in south Wales and the English counties along the border, especially Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire. Notable bearers include the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, the merchant Johns Hopkins, who founded the Baltimore hospital and university, and the Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins. Hob and Hop were rhyming forms of Rob, like Dob, which also gave Hobbs, Dobson and Robson, and the ending -kin was a diminutive of Flemish origin. Stephen Hopkins was among the passengers on the Mayflower in 1620.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Hopkins name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Hopkins name in Wales. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as England, the United States and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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The researched Hopkins pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Hopkins coat of arms.
Hopkins name FAQ
What does the Hopkins name mean?
Son of Hopkin, little Robert. Common variants include Hopkin, Hopkinson, Popkin.
Where does the Hopkins surname come from?
It originates in Wales, and is also found in England, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Hopkins coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Hopkins crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Hopkins coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.