Unisex name · Old English
Harper
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: harp playerHarper is a gender-neutral name that comes from Old English and means "harp player". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Harp player
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #16 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Harper
As a girl's name, Harper comes from Old English and means "harp player". It is used in English.
As a gender-neutral name, Harper comes from Old English and means "harp player". It is used in English and Scottish.
Harper is also a surname: the 255th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 119,191 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Harper on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Harper on 2 lists.
“A harp player, often a minstrel in a great hall”
From Cool last names, cool occupational last names
“Harp player; English job name, author Nelle Harper Lee's middle name; now 99% girls in the US”
From Gender neutral names, gender-neutral surname names
How popular is Harper?
In 2025, 6,792 girls and 77 boys in the US were named Harper.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #16
- 6,792 babies, 4,226 per million girls
- Best rank
- #9 in 2018
- Most babies: 10,803 in 2016
- Babies since 1971
- At least 139,063
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 3 per million |
| 1980s | 5 per million |
| 1990s | 31 per million |
| 2000s | 307 per million |
| 2010s | 4,868 per million |
| 2020s | 4,883 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11 | #11 | #9 | #9 | #10 | #10 | #11 | #11 | #12 | #16 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,980
- 77 babies, 45 per million boys
- Best rank
- #606 in 2012
- 416 babies that year
- Babies since 1881
- At least 6,769
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 47 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 49 per million |
| 1900s | 31 per million |
| 1910s | 24 per million |
| 1920s | 20 per million |
| 1930s | 14 per million |
| 1940s | 8 per million |
| 1950s | 5 per million |
| 1960s | 4 per million |
| 1970s | 5 per million |
| 1980s | 5 per million |
| 1990s | 12 per million |
| 2000s | 73 per million |
| 2010s | 170 per million |
| 2020s | 71 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #791 | #801 | #973 | #1,029 | #1,246 | #1,275 | #1,347 | #1,435 | #1,783 | #1,980 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Harper
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HaiderLion (Arabic, boy)
- HarborA safe haven for ships (English, unisex)
- HarelMountain of God (Hebrew, boy)
- HarveyBattle worthy (Breton, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- KineretHarp; the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew, girl)
- PiperPipe player (English, girl)
Middle names for Harper
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RutherfordCattle ford (Old English, boy)
- StewartSteward (Old English, boy)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
Harper: common questions
What does the name Harper mean?
Harper comes from Old English and means "harp player". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Harper a boy or girl name?
Harper is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 6,792 girls and 77 boys in the US were named Harper, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Harper come from?
Harper comes from Old English and means "harp player". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Harper?
Harper ranked #16 in the US in 2025, with 6,792 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Harper?
Names spelled like Harper include Haider, Harbor, Harel and Harvey.
What middle names go with Harper?
Middle names that flow well with Harper include Belle, Esme, Jane, Lane and Lee. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.