Harper
Harper is an English, Scottish, and Irish surname that is also commonly used as a unisex given name in the United States.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Harper
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Harper is an English, Scottish, and Irish surname that is also commonly used as a unisex given name in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Harper
Harper first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1971, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 10,802 Harpers were born — ranking #11 that year. As of 2026, Harper ranks #15 for baby girls with 7,116 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 147K Harpers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Harper
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Harper Goff (1911–1993), American musician
- Harper LeBel (born 1963), American football player
- Harper Lee (1926–2016), American novelist
- Harper MacKay (1921-1995), American pianist and composer
- Harper Phillips (born 1973), American alpine skier
- Harper Simon (born 1972), American singer-songwriter
- Harper Watters , American ballet dancer
- Harper Williams (born 1971), American basketball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Where is Harper most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States51%
- United Kingdom17%
- New Zealand13%
- Australia11%
- Canada8%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Harper
Phonetically similar names — useful when Harper is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harper
What does the name Harper mean?
What is the origin of the name Harper?
How popular is Harper in 2026?
When was Harper most popular?
In which U.S. states is Harper most popular?
Is Harper a unisex name?
What names go well with Harper?
About the name Harper
Harper is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 147K births in the dataset. Harper's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #9. Use the chart and map above to compare Harper's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.