Origin of Surname of Hope.

2.3.   Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The origin of the surname from a topographical feature of a hope as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary - definitions 1 and 2 - as listed on the Hope Surname Origins page is unlikely in this area as there are very few locations including hope in their name.  This is similar to the situation in Ireland.

However defintion 3 -  Hop an inlet, small, bay, haven is very valid as the result of the Nordic influence on the coastal areas as well as the Northern and Western isles and the surname of Hope could have been derived from these features, though probably small in numbers compared to elswhere.  The hamlet of Hope and Ben Hope on the north coast are examples but there are more examples the Orkney Islands.  

The names of the town of Oban in Lorn and Opinan in Gairloch on the west coast have their origins in the Norse word Hop.