Surname Kirsopp - Meaning and Origin

Kirsopp: What does the surname Kirsopp mean?

Kirsopp is an English surname that originated from the region of Northumbria. It is derived from two elements: 'Kir', which means 'church' and 'sopp', which means 'sop'. Together, these elements combine to produce a literal meaning of 'church sop', an expression used historically to signify a metric unit of dry measure that was used for items such as grain, flour, and coal.

As a result of this meaning, the surname has been historically associated with trades and professions involving large quantities of measured materials—such as millers, bakers, and grain merchants, among others. This occupation remains sometimes associated with the surname today. In the Scots language, the name is also sometimes spelled 'Kersopp', with the same meaning.

The earliest known recorded use of this surname in England was in 1687, when a man named John Kirsopp was a miller in the Yorkshire region. In America, the surname was first recorded in 1755, when an immigrant named Robert Kirsopp arrived in New York from England.

Today, the surname can still be found in many English-speaking countries, often spelled as 'Kirsopp' or 'Kersopp'. It is also sometimes found in less common variants, such as 'Kirsoff' or 'Kersoff' in America. It remains a relatively rare name, though instances of the surname can still be found in places such as Scotland, England, Australia, and the United States.

Kirsopp: Where does the name Kirsopp come from?

The Kirsopp surname is most commonly found in England today. Records of the name date back to 1250 when William de Kersop appears in the Records of the Knightly family of Moreston in Warwickshire. The earliest known English migrant bearing the Kirsopp surname was Thomas Kersoppe, who arrived in Virginia in 1637. The 1881 census records 11,073 occurrences of the Kirsopp name in England.

The largest concentration of Kirsopps is in the Midlands and South East regions, with the most significant numbers in Warwickshire and Lancashire. More recently, there has been an increase in the number of Kirsopps living in London and the Southeast of England.

The surname is also fairly common in Australia. Records from the 19th and 20th centuries show that early migrants with the Kirsopp name came from England, Scotland, and Ireland. Today, the majority of Kirsopp families reside in the Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.

There are also some occurrences of the name in the United States. A 2019 analysis found that there were 774 persons with the Kirsopp surname living in the US. Most of them reside in Texas and Pennsylvania, though there are also smaller concentrations of the name in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and California.

Variations of the surname Kirsopp

The surname Kirsopp is a patronymic name derived from the given name of Kersey, which is a popularly used surname throughout the United Kingdom. It is most commonly spelled as Kirsopp and can also be found in various other spellings such as Kirsop, Kirsipp, Kirsope, Kirspop, Kersop, Kersey, Kerseyp, Kerseypp and Kursypp. This surname is also found in the outdated and rarely used spelling of Kyrsopp.

The origin of the Kirsopp surname is English, yet it is also known to be used in Scotland. The name derives from the Middle English word 'kirk’ and the Middle English ‘sopp' which was a type of silver vessel. It is believed that the name began to be used as a surname in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The Kirsopp surname has many variants, however some are more common in certain areas than in others. For instance, in the United Kingdom, Kirsopp is the most widely used spelling of the surname, whilst in Scotland, Kersey is a more commonly used surname.

Kirsopp is an uncommon surname, however, there are a few people who still carry the heritage of this surname. Originally a patronymic name, when the surname is found it usually carries the title of 'son of', such as Kersupp son of Kersey.

It is difficult to trace the exact geographical origin of the Kirsopp surname as there are so many different spellings and variants. However, due to the popularity of the phone book in the 19th century, records and listings can be found throughout the United Kingdom.

Famous people with the name Kirsopp

• Madeline Kirsopp McElwee: American writer and journalist who wrote extensively on innovations in higher education, the legal profession, health care and the public policy process.
• Thomas Lavelle Kirsopp: American classical scholar and professor of Greek and Latin literature at Cornell University.
• Samuel A. Kirsopp: English professor at the University of Mississippi, one of the leading authorities on the biblical history, culture, and literature.
• William Kirsopp Lake: Canadian Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics & Child Health at the University of Winnipeg.
• Lanier Kirsopp Williams: American banker and philanthropist.
• Michael H. Kirsopp: British academic and professor, who has served as the head of the Department of Nuclear Physics at the University of Oxford.
• Heather A. Kirsopp: British musician, composer, and critic.
• Annie Kirsopp Gallery: English artist and educator who works mainly in watercolours and pencil drawings.
• Edwin A. Kirsopp: American NASCAR driver who competed in the Winston Cup Series.
• John Kirsopp: Australian historian and professor at the University of Queensland.

Other surnames

Kirsop