| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic |
| Meaning | "renowned-fame"; "Son of Hob" (or "Son of Robert"; a direct translation from the old English version, Hobbe-kyn) |
| Region of origin | Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | ap Popkyn, Hupkens, Hopkin, Hopcyn, Hopkinson, Dob(b), Hob(b), Hop, Nob(b), Rob, Robb, Robin, Robbins, Robinson, Popkyn, Robert |
| Frequency Comparisons:[1] | |
Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". Hob was a diminutive of Robert, itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name Hrod-berht, translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spelling was introduced to England after the Norman conquest of England.[citation needed]
The surname Hopkins or Hopcyn is associated with, and most common in, Wales. A typical Welsh patronym, it is first recorded as ab Popkyn (son of Hopkin) in Monmouth, in the early 17th century, and became a standardized surname under English law.
The name in Ireland is an Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Oibicin.