This surname is derived from a geographical locality. (1) 'at the hope,' from residence thereby; a sloping hollow between two hills was called a 'hope.' (2) Parishes so called (probably with a similar origin) in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Kent, and Herefordshire. As a suffix we find hope in such place-names as Stanhope or Harrop; as an affix in Hopcroft, Hopton, Hopley, or Hopwood.

Roger de la Hope, Herefordshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Richard de Hope, Salop, ibid.

John atte Hope, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Walter atte Hope, Somerset, 1 Edward III: ibid.

Edith atte Hope, Somerset, 1 Edward III: ibid.

Alicia de Hope, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

1590. Fulk Hope-Joyner and Elizabeth Hopkyn: Marriage Lic. (London).

1678. Baptised — May, d. John Hope: St. James, Clerkenwell.

Of local origin. John Hope of Peeblesshire rendered homage, 1296, and Symon de la Hope was received to the king of England's peace in 1321 (Bain, II, p. 207; III, 724). Thomas Hope held a tenement in Edinburgh, 1478 (RMS., II). The later earls of Hopetoun are descended from John de Hope, one of the retinue of Queen Magdalen, wife of James v (Wilson, Reminiscences of old Edinburgh, I, p. 134). Adam Hoip and William Hoip were witnesses in Parton, 1541. John Hoip was tenant on lands of Kelso Abbey, 1567 (Kelso, p. 520). Houp 1607.

(English) Dweller at a Valley, Hollow, Hill-Recess [Old English -hóp] Roger de la Hope.—Hundred Rolls Thorowe hopes and hillys.—Morte d’Arthur, 2503.

(Scandinavian) Dweller at a Small Bay, Inlet [Old Norse hóp] And in Saynt Margretys Hope.—Wyntoun, Chron. vi. xx. 2499.

In Eastern England a hope is some­times a marsh-pool.

Synonym for “Glen” in Scottish.

(English) Dweller on the raised or enclosed land in the midst of a marsh or wasteland; dweller in a small, enclosed valley, especially a smaller one branching out from the main valley; dweller in a hollow among the hills.

1. Parishes, &c., in cos. Derby, York, Flint, Kent, Salop, Hereford, &c. 2. A topographical expression, meaning a sloping hollow between two hills, "petite vallee entre des montagnes." Jamieson. "The side of an hill." Camden. Hence the surnames Hope, Hoper, and Hooper, as well as Hopekirk, Hopewell, &c. The H.R. form, De Hope, belongs to the first, and De la Hope to the second definition.

The side of a hill. The family are descended from John de Hope, temp. Alexander III.

Local. The side of a hill, or low ground between hills.

Name of parishes in cos. Derby, Flint, Hereford, Kent, Salop, York, &c.; and also of two townships in the U.S. Jamieson renders it a sloping hollow between two hills, and Camden, the side of a hill. Ferguson gives Anglo-Saxon hopu, a mound, or Old Norse hóp, a recess. I find no such word in Saxon. Among other local surnames compounded of hope are Friendship, Gallop, Gollop, Lightup, Milsop, Milksop, Peasoop, Pickup, Startup, Stirrop, Stirrup, Trollope, Walkup.

(English), Small field, Valley, Stream, Hill. (variant: Haven.)

A location name in Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Salop, North Wales, Yorkshire Or from the Dutch, Hoop, Hop; a personal name.

Hope: (Old Norse hop), an opening, a small bay; also a gap in the hills or in a forest. “In Yarrow, almost every farmhouse is sheltered in a recess or hollow of the hills, and the names in ‘hope’ are correspondingly numerous - as, for instance, Kirkhope, Dryhope, Whitehope, etc. - more than twenty in all. In Upper Weardale, Durham, we find another cluster of these names, such as Stanhope, Burnhope, Westenhope, Wellhope, Harthope, Swinehope, Rockhope, and Rollehope, the meaning of which is most transparent.” Also Glossop and Heslop in Derbyshire, Worksop in Notts, and to the same source may be attributed Hopton. Hartopp is a surname, as is Hope. So also Blenkinsop and Widdop. It is also corrupted into ship. Nettleship is the nettle-overgrown opening in the woods.