This is an occupational surname which derives from the old high German "Stouf" and describes a manufacturer of beakers, otherwise known as "Stoops". It is also possible that the name refers to one who delivers fresh water or even alcohol, and as such may have been a nickname or metonymic. There is a slight possibility that some name holders may descend from Stube, a word which was originally locational for an area of forest where the trees stumps had been left standing probably after fire. The surname is well recorded through the northern continental coast line from Flanders to Sleswick - Holstein, the coat of arms being a blazon of black, a red fesse charged with three gold ewers or beakers. In Germany the popular spelling form would seem to be Stopp or Stobbe, Stoop being rare, but in the Netherlands / Flanders the spelling is more generally Stoop or Van der Stoop, Henrietta van der Stoop being born in Utrecht on September 15th 1819. The name as Stupp and Stoop is early into America, Martin Stupp being recorded at Ulster, New York on January 24th 1716 whilst Magdalena Stoop was born at Albany, New York State on March 2nd 1785. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alidt Stoop which was dated July 1st 1554, born at Alkmaar, Holland, during the reign of William of Nassau, known as "The Great" Prince of Orange. 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.