Harper
Originally a surname for someone who played the harp or made them, recorded in medieval England for both travelling and household musicians.
Harper in 2025
Harper was given to 6,869 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 50th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 483 babies born.
The history of Harper
Harper reached its highest point in 2016, when 11,102 babies were given the name, ranking 28th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 23rd, in 2019.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 145,832 babies have been named Harper. Half of them were born before 2017, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Harper has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to boys in its early decades, and goes mostly to girls today.
Harper by decade
| Decade | Babies named Harper | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 52 | 1,183 |
| 1890s | 56 | 1,523 |
| 1900s | 42 | 1,679 |
| 1910s | 158 | 2,278 |
| 1920s | 225 | 2,686 |
| 1930s | 143 | 3,146 |
| 1940s | 115 | 3,892 |
| 1950s | 105 | 4,510 |
| 1960s | 68 | 5,811 |
| 1970s | 134 | 4,775 |
| 1980s | 177 | 5,255 |
| 1990s | 800 | 2,089 |
| 2000s | 7,127 | 323 |
| 2010s | 88,388 | 23 |
| 2020s | 48,242 | 30 |
Where Harper is heading
Harper has fallen 36% over the past decade, from 10,652 babies in 2015 to 6,869 in 2025.
Names like Harper
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Harper.