Daily AncestorHooper
A hooper fitted the wooden or iron hoops around barrels, casks and tubs to hold the staves together, working as an assistant to a cooper.
Barrels were built of staves held tight by wooden or metal hoops. The hooper fitted those hoops around the vessels the cooper had made. Over time coopers took over the hooping themselves, so the separate title is mostly found in older records.
Do not confuse it with the slang hooper for a basketball player, or with the hooper swan of European bird books.
As seen in a recordOlder English records, 1500s to 1700s
Thos. Hooke, hooper
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Hooper." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/hooper. Last checked 2026-10-10.