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Cope Family History

Cope Name Meaning

English (common in the Midlands): from Middle English cope ‘cloak’, ‘cape’ (from Old English cap reinforced by the Old Norse cognate kápa), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made cloaks or capes, or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive one. Compare Cape.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Cape, Cole, Copp, Hope, Pope, Coe, Cote, Corn, Comer, Howe

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cope family from?

You can see how Cope families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cope family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cope families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1911 there were 217 Cope families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Cope's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cope families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cope surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cope ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Cope. 37% of Cope men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Cope women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cope were Labourer and Operator.

View Census data for Cope | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    37%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Labourer
    5%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Housekeeper
    15%
  • Dressmaker
    15%
  • Clerk
    15%
  • Operator
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cope family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 195,000 census records available for the last name Cope. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cope census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cope

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Cope. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cope immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Cope. For the veterans among your Cope ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cope military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cope family history.

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What is the average Cope lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Cope life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cope in 1942 was 54, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cope

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