Harper
Inherited from Middle English Harpere.
Every Harper since 1881 — 145,832 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Harper
Harper is a top-50 name for girls in the United States, ranked #16 in 2025 with 6,792 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1881, 145,832 American babies have been named Harper. Its peak came in 2016, when 11,102 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Harper stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Harper year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,792 | #16 | 77 | #1,980 |
| 2024 | 7,394 | #12 | 92 | #1,783 |
| 2023 | 7,799 | #11 | 127 | #1,435 |
| 2022 | 8,227 | #11 | 139 | #1,347 |
| 2021 | 8,448 | #10 | 149 | #1,275 |
| 2020 | 8,849 | #10 | 149 | #1,246 |
| 2019 | 10,497 | #9 | 202 | #1,029 |
| 2018 | 10,646 | #9 | 214 | #973 |
| 2017 | 10,524 | #11 | 286 | #801 |
| 2016 | 10,803 | #11 | 299 | #791 |
| 2015 | 10,311 | #10 | 341 | #724 |
| 2014 | 9,619 | #11 | 328 | #730 |
| 2013 | 8,284 | #16 | 366 | #662 |
| 2012 | 7,199 | #24 | 416 | #606 |
| 2011 | 4,676 | #54 | 402 | #607 |
| 2010 | 2,634 | #120 | 341 | #689 |
| 2009 | 1,904 | #173 | 316 | #737 |
| 2008 | 1,128 | #296 | 248 | #856 |
| 2007 | 729 | #440 | 231 | #879 |
| 2006 | 597 | #510 | 195 | #955 |
| 2005 | 363 | #743 | 139 | #1,153 |
| 2004 | 274 | #887 | 77 | #1,679 |
| 2003 | 200 | #1,103 | 72 | #1,705 |
| 2002 | 164 | #1,225 | 73 | #1,639 |
| 2001 | 176 | #1,172 | 58 | #1,899 |
| 2000 | 136 | #1,370 | 47 | #2,153 |
| 1995 | 53 | #2,432 | 19 | #3,477 |
| 1990 | 12 | #7,028 | 11 | #4,801 |
| 1985 | 13 | #5,462 | 13 | #3,483 |
| 1980 | 6 | #9,492 | 10 | #3,955 |
| 1975 | 7 | #7,428 | 7 | #4,506 |
| 1970 | — | — | 12 | #2,790 |
| 1965 | — | — | 7 | #3,372 |
| 1960 | — | — | 6 | #3,813 |
| 1955 | — | — | 10 | #2,654 |
| 1950 | — | — | 12 | #2,261 |
| 1945 | — | — | 8 | #2,649 |
| 1940 | — | — | 10 | #2,386 |
| 1935 | — | — | 12 | #2,179 |
| 1930 | — | — | 21 | #1,617 |
| 1925 | — | — | 21 | #1,705 |
| 1920 | — | — | 28 | #1,402 |
| 1915 | — | — | 27 | #1,284 |
| 1910 | — | — | 6 | #1,489 |
| 1905 | — | — | 13 | #683 |
| 1900 | — | — | 7 | #1,095 |
| 1895 | — | — | 12 | #622 |
| 1890 | — | — | 6 | #934 |
| 1885 | — | — | 9 | #667 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Harper
- Harper Lee Writer · 1926–2016
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Harper mean?
Inherited from Middle English Harpere.
How popular is the name Harper in 2025?
Harper ranked #16 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 6,792 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Harper?
145,832 babies have been named Harper in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Harper most popular?
Harper peaked in 2016, when 11,102 newborns received the name.
Is Harper a boy or girl name?
Harper is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 95% of babies with the name.
Is the name Harper rising or falling?
Harper is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Harper?
Well-known people named Harper include Harper Lee (writer).