Cooper
Cooper was the 27th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,472 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 50 places. More babies were named Cooper in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning barrel maker (surname) · English
Say it KOO-per /ˈkupər/
- Rank in 2025
- #27 boys, up 48 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,472boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20257,472 babies
- Total since 1880
- 126,484babies recorded
What does the name Cooper mean?
Cooper is an English occupational surname for a cooper, someone who made barrels and casks. As a first name it is a modern transfer from the surname.
cooper (English, “maker of barrels”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Nicknames for Cooper
The usual nicknames for Cooper are Coop.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coop | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Coopers go by each one.
Cooper popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,782 since 1985, 181 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #27 | 7,472 |
| 2020 | #75 | 4,592 |
| 2010 | #75 | 5,260 |
| 2000 | #241 | 1,405 |
| 1990 | #706 | 208 |
| 1980 | #1,294 | 52 |
| 1970 | #2,008 | 20 |
| 1960 | #2,341 | 13 |
| 1950 | #3,782 | 5 |
| 1940 | #2,513 | 9 |
| 1930 | #1,909 | 16 |
| 1920 | #1,767 | 20 |
| 1910 | #1,058 | 10 |
| 1900 | #1,197 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cooper, counting every spelling?
Cooper is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #30 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #27 for Cooper on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,690 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper | 7,472 | #27 | 28,936 |
| Kooper | 218 | #1,024 | 1,055 |
| Kuiper | — | — | 46 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cooper?
7,472 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cooper (2.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cooper born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 26. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cooper.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cooper?
About 121,700 people born in the US named Cooper are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 18. That makes Cooper a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cooper by state
How common Cooper was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.3×), Wyoming (3.3×), North Dakota (2.9×), Montana (2.6×), Maine (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, District of Columbia, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cooper: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cooper, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cooper · Sibling names for Cooper
Questions about the name Cooper
What does Cooper mean?
Cooper means “barrel maker (surname)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Cooper?
Cooper was the 27th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,472 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 50 places. More babies were named Cooper in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Cooper a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cooper in the US.
Where is Cooper most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cooper was most common in Vermont (10.99 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and North Dakota.