Stoops
A surname most likely from a byname for someone who stooped or bent in posture or gait.
The #8,266 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,994 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The best-supported explanation treats Stoops as a nickname surname from a word meaning “stoop” or “bend,” applied to someone with a stooping posture or gait. The Harrison excerpt explicitly links it to a plural or genitive form of Stoop, pointing to the same root. Earlier English forms go back to Old English and Middle English words for bending or stooping.
History
The name is recorded in English surname tradition and appears in later reference works as a variant or pluralized form of Stoop. Because surnames of this type often arose independently in different places, it may have multiple unrelated family lines. In modern use it is also found in the United States, where the spelling is established but not especially common.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One historical surname index grouped Stoops with other nickname surnames based on body shape or movement, alongside names like Bent and Straight.
From the historical record
“STOOPS 1 pi., and genit., of Stoop, StopOi \P1- f q.v. STOPES STOPFORD \(Eng.) Bel. to Stockport. STOPFORTH J Stopford and Stopforth are old”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)