Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. lame, limping; thus as a nickname.

1818		W. Perry London Guide viii: Some of us have had communications with Conkey Beau [and] Hoppy Cole.
1844		J. Overs Evenings of a Working Man 185: ‘Bunting Sal’ proposes to ‘Hoppy Jack’ to ‘goo and fetch a drain o’ gin’.
1849		Sam Sly 24 Feb. 3/3: Mr. J—n W—l, the hoppy barber, of George-street, not to get so beastly drunk of a night.
1902		in J. Wright EDD (1905) III 232/2: ‘To go hoppy’ is to walk rather lame.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.
1999		(con. 1917) R. Doyle A Star Called Henry (2000) 188: The hoppy fella did the killing for Gandon.

2. lively, full of movement.

1913		Sport (Adelaide) 12 July 8/3: They Say [...] A cyclist by name of Toppy / Last Saturday felt rather hoppy.
1934		A. Woollcott While Rome Burns (1936) 42: Juventino Rosas [...] who once wrote a pleasant and rather hoppy waltz.