A Scottish surname the Pope family name comes from the Old English term ‘pope’ which referred to the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. The Latin form is ‘papa’.

Spelling variations for Pope include Popp, Paipe, Paip and Pape. In Germany the Pope surname would be spelled Poppe.

Along the southern coast of England is where most Pope families live. From Cornwall in the southwest to Kent in the southeast, the Pope families have established their homes.
In Scotland the early Pope families were from the Caithness region. Over the decades they moved into Aberdeenshire, Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Angus, Sutherland and Renfrewshire.

The Pope family name covers the eastern half of the United States and is especially found in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, New York, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, California and Michigan.

Famous: Franklin Leonard Pope (18th century explorer and inventor), Albert Augustus Pope (early manufacturer of bicycles and automobiles), Eddie Pope (soccer player), Mark Pope (professional basketball player), Peggy Pope (actress), John Pope (Civil War Union general) and Carole Pope (singer from Canada).