The names of the people of Kopparholm can be traced back to the 18th century. On Västra Kopparholmen, warp and stone chips have been found. This indicates that the islands’ then owner, Arvid Posse, was looking for copper ore on the islands. Hence the name Kopparholmarna.

In 1884, Kopparholmen got a gas oil boiler with a lens device of the 6th order with alternating white and red light. Together with the lighthouse on Svartöberget (Arkö), they got a single line over Aspöfjärden.

Despite the lighthouse, several accidents have occurred near the lighthouse and near Kopparholmarna:

• On July 29, 1885, a schooner was drifting on the northwest side of the islet when it calmed down and the ship thus became unmanageable. The ship was based in Figeholm and was on its way from Strömsholm to Helgenäs with a cargo of ore.
• On September 19, 1887, a schooner from Slite went on the protruding stranding NVtV around Kopparholmen’s lighthouse. The ship that was on its way to Söderköping with a cargo of lime arrived safely with the help of the pilots at Arkö. Lack of knowledge about the waters caused the grounding.
• In July 1904, the training ship Abraham Rydberg thorned a rock wall on Kopparholmen but had only minor damage to the rudder.
• On July 31, 1905, the schooner Brutus went on Kopparholmens NV cape. The ship was on its way from Stockholm to Loftahammar and refused to turn around due to throwing villages.

In 1909, land on Västra Kopparholmen for 20 years was leased to the Swedish Pilotage Agency. The land that was leased belonged to Gottenvik.

Anders Roback is to be buried on eastern Kopparholmmen. He died 1834-09-09 and was buried 1834-09-11. Anders Roback was unmarried and leased Köxemåla in Misterhult. He died on a hunt that was on its way from Stockholm to Figeholm. He was 32 years old and died of Cholera Morbus (Cholera).

From 1938, Kopparholmarna was owned by the Crown and a number of cannon defenses were erected. As recently as 1955, warning shots were fired from them at a Russian submarine. All fortifications on the islands are today demolished, but traces of several foundations can be seen. The islands were a military protected area until 2012, but are now part of a nature reserve of 330 hectares, of which about 30 hectares are land and the rest is the water area around the islands.