Girl nameCurrently #12 in the USFalling
Harper
HAR-per//ˈhɑːrpər//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20166 lettersStarts with H
Meaning & origin
Harp player
Harper started life as an occupational surname for someone who played the harp, a traveling minstrel's trade in medieval England. It crossed into first-name use in the late 20th century and accelerated quickly after 2010, helped by its literary echo of Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Harper |
|---|---|
| 1881 | 9 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 10 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1890 | 6 |
| 1891 | 6 |
| 1892 | 5 |
| 1895 | 12 |
| 1896 | 6 |
| 1897 | 6 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 7 |
| 1905 | 13 |
| 1906 | 11 |
| 1907 | 5 |
| 1908 | 6 |
| 1910 | 6 |
| 1912 | 18 |
| 1913 | 16 |
| 1914 | 20 |
| 1915 | 27 |
| 1916 | 17 |
| 1917 | 21 |
| 1918 | 17 |
| 1919 | 16 |
| 1920 | 28 |
| 1921 | 23 |
| 1922 | 31 |
| 1923 | 13 |
| 1924 | 29 |
| 1925 | 21 |
| 1926 | 24 |
| 1927 | 22 |
| 1928 | 18 |
| 1929 | 16 |
| 1930 | 21 |
| 1931 | 11 |
| 1932 | 16 |
| 1933 | 11 |
| 1934 | 15 |
| 1935 | 12 |
| 1936 | 12 |
| 1937 | 12 |
| 1938 | 18 |
| 1939 | 15 |
| 1940 | 10 |
| 1941 | 13 |
| 1942 | 14 |
| 1943 | 7 |
| 1944 | 15 |
| 1945 | 8 |
| 1946 | 9 |
| 1947 | 12 |
| 1948 | 16 |
| 1949 | 11 |
| 1950 | 12 |
| 1951 | 12 |
| 1952 | 13 |
| 1953 | 5 |
| 1954 | 9 |
| 1955 | 10 |
| 1956 | 17 |
| 1957 | 6 |
| 1958 | 7 |
| 1959 | 14 |
| 1960 | 6 |
| 1961 | 7 |
| 1963 | 6 |
| 1964 | 7 |
| 1965 | 7 |
| 1966 | 8 |
| 1967 | 5 |
| 1968 | 13 |
| 1969 | 9 |
| 1970 | 12 |
| 1971 | 22 |
| 1972 | 8 |
| 1973 | 10 |
| 1974 | 14 |
| 1975 | 14 |
| 1976 | 17 |
| 1977 | 14 |
| 1978 | 18 |
| 1979 | 5 |
| 1980 | 16 |
| 1981 | 16 |
| 1982 | 16 |
| 1983 | 15 |
| 1984 | 13 |
| 1985 | 26 |
| 1986 | 16 |
| 1987 | 14 |
| 1988 | 23 |
| 1989 | 23 |
| 1990 | 23 |
| 1991 | 36 |
| 1992 | 38 |
| 1993 | 37 |
| 1994 | 45 |
| 1995 | 72 |
| 1996 | 146 |
| 1997 | 115 |
| 1998 | 132 |
| 1999 | 156 |
| 2000 | 183 |
| 2001 | 234 |
| 2002 | 237 |
| 2003 | 272 |
| 2004 | 351 |
| 2005 | 502 |
| 2006 | 792 |
| 2007 | 960 |
| 2008 | 1,376 |
| 2009 | 2,219 |
| 2010 | 2,975 |
| 2011 | 5,078 |
| 2012 | 7,615 |
| 2013 | 8,650 |
| 2014 | 9,944 |
| 2015 | 10,651 |
| 2016 | 11,101 |
| 2017 | 10,807 |
| 2018 | 10,858 |
| 2019 | 10,696 |
| 2020 | 8,997 |
| 2021 | 8,590 |
| 2022 | 8,362 |
| 2023 | 7,919 |
| 2024 | 7,461 |
Harper through the decades
- Harper peaked in 2016, when 11,101 babies were named Harper in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Harper has risen 138% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Harper currently ranks #12 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Harper
Variants & spellings
Harpar
Famous people named Harper
- Harper Lee — author