Hickenlooper

The surname HICKENLOOPER is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hicca," meaning a small brook or stream, and "hlopu," meaning a loop or winding course. Thus, HICKENLOOPER likely referred to a person living near a small, winding stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the HICKENLOOPER surname can be found in parish records and court rolls from counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire in England. The name appeared with various spellings, including Hickinlooper, Hickenloper, and Hickelooper, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.

One of the earliest known HICKENLOOPERS was John Hickenlooper, born around 1520 in Oxfordshire. He is mentioned in the Diocesan Records of Oxford, where he is listed as a landowner in the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood.

In the 17th century, the HICKENLOOPER surname gained prominence through the efforts of William Hickenlooper (1615-1682), a successful merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. His son, John Hickenlooper (1647-1721), served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1695.

Another notable figure was Thomas Hickenlooper (1779-1857), a British military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament for the borough of Woodstock in Oxfordshire.

During the 19th century, several HICKENLOOPERS emigrated from England to the United States, bringing the surname to the New World. One such individual was Henry Hickenlooper (1822-1905), who settled in Ohio and became a prosperous farmer and businessman.

In the 20th century, the HICKENLOOPER surname gained further prominence with the political career of John Hickenlooper (born 1942), who served as the Mayor of Denver, Colorado, from 2003 to 2011, and later as the Governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019.