The first name Harper
A girl’s name from English.
Pronounced /ˈhɑɹpɚ/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Inherited from Middle English Harpere.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,367 girls were named Harper, making it the 23rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 1,796 births (#27).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Harper with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Harper at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 6,792 girls born in the United States were named Harper, the 16th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 10,803 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Harper
2 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Harper LeeAmerican novelist (1926–2016)
- Harper WilliamsAmerican basketball player (born 1971)
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Harper mean?
- Inherited from Middle English Harpere.
- What is the origin of the name Harper?
- Inherited from Middle English Harpere.
- How popular is the name Harper?
- In 2025, 1,367 girls born in England and Wales were named Harper, ranking 23rd. Its peak was 2018, with 1,796 births.
- Is Harper a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 95% of the 145,832 US babies named Harper since 1880 were girls.
- When was Harper most popular?
- 2016 in the United States, when 10,803 babies were named Harper, its highest rank at 11th.
- How do you pronounce Harper?
- Harper is /ˈhɑɹpɚ/, 2 syllables.
- Is Harper also a surname?
- Yes. Harper is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.