Surname Warcop - Meaning and Origin
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Warcop: What does the surname Warcop mean?
The last name Warcop is an English surname derived from the village of Warcop, located in the Eden Valley of Cumbria in England. The name Warcop derives from the Old English words waer, meaning “dam,” and copp, meaning “summit.” Therefore, Warcop literally translates to “summit or hilltop with a dam.”
The Warcop settlement is documented as far back as the late 13th century when it was known as Watathope. The village changed to Warcop soon after the establishment of a permanent dam. By the 16th century, Warcop had become a major source of water control for the local area. With most of the surrounding areas lacking resources for small-scale water regulation, Warcop was often the first place to turn.
With the development of Warcop throughout the Middle Ages came families that were closely associated with the settlement. From these families, the surname Warcop began to emerge. This surname was probably taken on either by those who lived in the village or by people who were connected in some way to the dam and water control. For this reason, it can be said that the surname Warcop is indicative of an English family’s long tradition of water management and engineering.
Today Warcop remains a popular name amongst former Cumbria locals, as well as across other English countryside locations. The surname stands as a reminder of the families that helped preserve and maintain local resources and water control systems throughout the centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisWarcop: Where does the name Warcop come from?
The surname Warcop is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, specifically in Northern England. According to TheWarCops.com, the surname was first listed in the Doomsday Book of 1086, and originates from the village of Warcop in Westmorland, Cumbria. This surname is still relatively common in Westmorland and the surrounding areas such as Cumbria, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Durham. It is also found in other areas of England as well as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and in countries with historic ties to the UK such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Given its origin and history, Warcop is also strong in Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. It is also found in countries in Europe such as Germany, Italy, and France.
In England, the Warcop surname originates from Warcop, a village in Cumbria. The village, which is located near the Miller Gibbon Fell, is said to be the place where the Warcop family originated. The village’s main street is affectionately known as “Warcop Street”, paying homage to its past. The last name Warcop is also found in other villages and towns near Warcop such as Shap, Askham, Lowther and Burton-in-Kendal.
Outside of its origin location, the Warcop surname is most notably found in England’s North West in the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester. In these areas, Warcop is generally associated with the Lake District and can be found in many villages and towns. Additionally, the surname is commonly found in Yorkshire’s Harrogate area.
Variations of the surname Warcop
The surname Warcop has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, including Warcop, Warcoppe, Warcup, Warkeop, Worcop, Warcopp, Warcoupe, Wercop, and Warcopp. It is an English patronymic surname, which refers to those who were originally descended from a particular ancestor.
The first written record of the surname Warcop appears in the year 1086 on the famous Domesday Book when a Roger de Warcopp was recorded in Warwickshire. It is a site which lists feudal landholders, tenants and assets, and it can be assumed to be the first recorded instance of the Warcop surname.
This surname was most likely derived from the Old English words, “weorð (meaning worth), and “copp (meaning hill). Together, this translates to having the meaning of “the hill which is worth something.” This was most likely a description of a particular area of land.
Over time, the spelling of the surname began to change through a series of variations and mistakes being made by the process of scribes or clerks, usually at the time of a birth or death registration. This means that the spelling Warcop may have originally been Warcopp or Warcup.
It is believed that the Warcop surname was mostly found in the northern regions of England, particularly in Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Durham, where variants of the name were also more common. The Warcop name was also recorded in Scotland, where the variants Warcop and Warcop take the form Warkop.
Famous people with the name Warcop
- Sir James Warcop of Warcop (1590-1653), a British Army officer who fought during the English Civil War.
- Nathaniel Warcop (1715-1786), a British Army officer who fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War.
- Thomas Warcop (1741-1811), a British Army officer from a family of military officers who served in the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Peninsular War.
- John Warcop (1767-1840), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812.
- John Warcop (1812-1871), a British Army officer who was involved in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
- James Warcop (1835-1897), a British Army surgeon who served in the Crimean War and the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
- Edward Warcop (1845-1914), a British Army colonel who served in the Boer War and World War I.
- Ernest Warcop (1851-1917), a British Army Major General who served in the Second Boer War and World War I.
- Frederick Ernest Warcop (1872-1966), a British Army brigadier-general who served in World War I and World War II.
- Sir Henry Warcop (1909-1990), a British Army officer who served in World War II and the Korean War.