An English and Scottish surname, Hopper comes from the Old English term ‘hoppian’ which means to dance, or leap or hop. The name can refer to someone with a great deal of energy. The spelling variations for Hopper include Hawper and Happer. In England the Hopper families first settled in the northern region of Durham. The name spread having the most Hopper families in Northumberland, Yorkshire and then south into Essex, Kent and the city of London. In Scotland the Hopper family name is very populated in Midlothian, East Lothian, Lanarkshire, Dumfries-shire, Angus and Aberdeenshire counties. Within the United States the hopper families first settled in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Famous: Edward Hopper (artist and printmaker), Dennis Hopper (actor, writer and director for movies), Hedda Hopper (actress and gossip / social columnist), Thomas Hopper (19th century English architect), Isaac Hopper (19th century abolitionist), Tom Hopper (actor from England), Hugh Hopper (music composer), Kev Hopper (musician) and DeWolf Hopper (singer, actor and comic).