This interesting and unusual name with variant spelling Arnup is possibly a dialectal variant of "Harrop", and "Harehoppe" in 1274 and 1307, respectively, in the Wakefield Court Rolls. The place name is composed of the same elements as "Harehope" in Northumberland, that is "hara", hare (related to the Old Norse "heri") and "-hop" meaning "marsh enclosure", "valley", hence the "hare's valley or marsh enclosure". Arnopp developed from Harrop as a result of dialectal differences in pronunciation, as in some places the "H" was dropped. one Robart Hearope was christened at St. Andrews, Holborn on February 14th 1564, and a John Harope was christened here also on July 19th 1570. The Norfolk church register records the christening of one Thomas Arnopp son of Jerome Arnopp at St. Michael at Plea, Norwich on November 3rd 1605 and the marriage of Robert Arnopp to An Darlice in July 1630, at St. Martin at Oak, Norwich. In London at St. Margarets, Westminster Thomas Arnup married Eusebea Lumbard on April 5th 1655. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Harop, which was dated 1185, Pipe Rolls of Northumberland, during the reign of King Henry 111, "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.