Schops - Name

This is a German occupational surname of the late medieval period. It is recorded as Scheppe, Scheps, Schops, Schopfer, Schopflocher, Schopenhauer, and many others, it describes a maker of wooden and metal pails and scoops. This was a very important skilled job in the Middle Ages, in fact life and trade could not have continued without a permanent supply of these objects. Occupational surnames were amongst the earliest to be created, however before about the 15th century they did not usually become hereditary, unless a son or sometimes a daughter, followed the parents into the same line of business. If they did not the name died out. In this case we have early recordings from surviving charters and rolls of Germany including such as Siffert Scheppe of Kassel in 1479, and Peter Schops of Weida in the year 1517. A coat of arms granted in Saxony has the blazon of per fess, in chief a blue field charged with a demi ram in gold, and in base on a black field, three gold scoops arranged one and two.