Cooper or barrel maker
Kuiper is a Dutch occupational surname meaning 'cooper' or 'barrel maker'. In a modern context, it is most frequently associated with the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system beyond Neptune, named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper.
Less common today
Kuiper isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #4,693 in 2022.
Dutch-American astronomer for whom the Kuiper Belt is named
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
