Copley
A place-name surname meaning someone from Copley, especially the hamlet in Yorkshire.
The #5,303 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,008 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Copley is a locational surname. The historical dictionaries describe it as referring to a place called Copley, especially the hamlet in Skircoat, Halifax, Yorkshire, though one older source notes difficulty finding the exact place-name origin. The name is usually explained from Old English elements meaning the summit or a high place, so the sense is roughly "high clearing" or "upland place."
History
The surname is recorded as very old in Yorkshire and was borne by notable Yorkshire families. Sir Godfrey Copley, who died in 1709, endowed the Copley Medal, and the painter John Singleton Copley came from a Yorkshire family that later settled in Ireland. The name also appears in Irish surname lists, reflecting later movement from England to Ireland.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The famous Copley Medal, awarded by the Royal Society, takes its name from Sir Godfrey Copley.
From the historical record
“Polwhele's Devon, ii. 35. See Croker. COPLEY. Yery ancient in Yorkshire. Local — but I do not find the place. COPNER. A-Sax. copenere, a lover. COPP. The top of a hill, or any emi- nence. COPPEN. COPPIN. Elevated— as ^^ cop2)in in Iicvin," elevated to heaven. Jamieson. The root appears to be A-Sax. coj), the…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom