Harper is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Harper means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Harper across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Harper has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Harper is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “harp player”. originally an occupational surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 145,832 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 16,259 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,970 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 462 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,068 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,217 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Harper per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 2016 (11,102/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2018 (1,842/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2017 (209/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2018 (112/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2021 (52/yr).
Harper has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2016, when it ranked #28 nationally (given to 12,695 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2010s.
Harbor · Harbour · Herber · Harperrae · Harpyr · Harpar · Harbir
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