The baby name Harper first appeared on this site way back in 2008, when it ranked a mere #296. Since then, it’s reached the US Top Ten and become a go-to name for girls.
Thanks to Kayt for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day way back when, and to Leigh for requesting an update!
MUSICAL SURNAME NAME
Once upon a time, the baby name Harper started out as a surname.
Most Harpers likely worked as court musicians.
Harps date back to the ancient world. They made a splash in the medieval era, particularly in Northern Europe. Troubadours played harps as they told their tales. (And yes, harps were smaller back then.) So no surprise that the occupational surname Harper evolved, right alongside Miller and Carter.
TWO TRENDS MEET
Like nearly any surname, Harper was used in small numbers for children over the years – likely because it was a family name for many.
The musician Paul Simon named his son Harper in 1972. Harper’s mom was Simon’s first wife, Peggy Harper.
The runaway success of surname names for girls started with Taylor in the 1990s. Then came Madison, early in the 2000s. Along with Jordan, Morgan, Mackenzie, Kelsey, Shelby and more, the door was wide open for Harper.
We’ve also embraced musical names for girls over the years. Melody, Cadence, Harmony, and Lyric have all had their moments.
The baby name Harper sits at the intersection of both trends.
Maybe there’s even a third factor: since harps are associated strongly with Ireland, Harper might appeal to the same families who previously pushed Erin and Kelly – speaking of surnames – to the top of the charts.
By the 1990s, a growing number of girls and boys alike had received the name.
LITERARY HARPER
One of those children to receive the family name Harper? The future bestselling author, Nelle Harper Lee.
Lee’s first name was inspired by her grandmother, Ellen.
When she published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, she used her family middle as her pen name.
The book won a Pulitzer, and inspired a 1963 movie, a cinematic classic; Gregory Peck won the Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch.
Of course, Harper has other associations with print and the written word. Since 1867, Harper’s Bazaar has been published in the US, a fashion magazine with global reach. Publisher HarperCollins also combines nineteenth century roots with international renown.
As for the novel? Despite finding resounding success in the 60s, it would take decades before Lee’s story would inspire parents.
THREE MORE DECADES
The baby name Harper didn’t catch on for ages.
Paul Newman played a private detective named Lew Harper in two successful movies: 1966’s Harper and 1975’s The Drowning Pool. It didn’t move the needle on the number of boys given then name.
In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley scored her first-ever hit with “Harper Valley PTA.” The song raced up the country and pop charts at the same time, back when crossover songs were a rarity. The song chronicled a small town conflict between uptight community leaders and a carefree single mom. It inspired a movie and a television series.
While a character with the surname Harper eventually appeared, it wasn’t a given name at that point, either.
Valerie Harper became a major television star in the 1970s, graduating from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Rhoda.
Tony Kushner’s 1993 play Angels in America did give the name to one of the female characters, and might’ve inspired a very few parents – but only a few.
ONE CITY ONE BOOK
Beginning in the late 1990s in Seattle, a grassroots movement developed into the the One City One Book campaign.
The premise: What if everyone – book clubs and independent readers, discussion groups and civic organizations – all read the same book at the same time, and then talked about it?
Mockingbird was a popular choice, picked for its focus on race, justice, and personal courage.
By the early 2000s, plenty of future parents had discovered the book on their required reading lists as students. But as they rediscovered it as adults, it seemed to put the baby name Harper on more and more families’ shortlists.
Plenty of parents have cited Mockingbird as the reason for their choice, including David and Victoria Beckham. Sales of the novel surged in the UK after the famous couple announced their daughter’s name in 2011.
More proof that the reading campaign made an impact? Atticus, the name of the main character, caught on alongside Harper.
BY the NUMBERS
Dozens of celebrity parents chose the baby name Harper over the years, from Shonda Rhimes and Neil Patrick Harris to Dave Grohl and Lisa Marie Presley.
In 2004, Harper debuted in the girls’ Top 1000 at #887.
It rocketed up the popularity charts in the US, reaching #54 by 2011.
And in 2015? It arrived at #10.
The baby name Harper has bounced between #9 and #11 ever since. It currently sits at #10 as of 2020.
TAILORED AND PRINCIPLED
Harper’s image is tailored and principled. It’s a modern name with strong, positive associations – from Lee’s novel to the instrument.
As a Top Ten name, it’s also become too popular for some parents to consider. But overall, the baby name Harper makes an appealing choice, rich with meaning.
What do you think of the baby name Harper?
This post was originally published on June 3, 2008. It was revised and re-posted on June 18, 2012; February 8, 2016; and again on February 15, 2022.
In theory I love this name, it has such an attractive meaning … but sadly it always reminds me of the word herpes.
Hesper!!!! Or Hedda, Helle, Harley, Honor, Hawthorn, Heliabel, Herla, Hermione, Hester… I am reading from the H section of the llewelyn’s book.
Hesper – I really like that one! And my love for the fusty Hester is long-standing …
Ok, so if this name is totally cool but now a little too popular to use – what is a name that is just as cool that also starts with “H”?
I like Harper for a boy. I can see the appeal for a girl, but to me it’s a boy’s name. Seeing as the name is rising for boys as well as for girls, I think it is a valid option for either sex.
I’ve seen Harper on both boys and girls and in almost equal numbers, but the stats tell me that it’s WAY more popular for girls. However, the number of boy sightings does suggest that it’s rising as a boy name too – would love to see this Top 100 for BOTH names (currently is only for girls).
Well we named our Daughter Harper after Miss Lee….14 years ago, we thought the name was awesome befor it became trendy.
Oh, that is the worst feeling, I’m sure. You’ve landed on the perfect name, and then you get Beckham’d. Or Jolie-Pitt’d. Or insert-celeb-family here. If the new Garner-Affleck baby is called Clio, I’ll hit the roof. 🙂
Harper is my maiden name, so it always feels weird to me when people have it as a first name… But while Piper seems like a girl name, Harper sounds like a boy’s name to me. On the other hand, in a world where I’ve heard a bunch of different little girls being called Logan and at least one named Emerson, all bets are off on what surname goes with which sex.
(I think Logan on girls may be a local trend, though, since I heard it mainly on boys when I was living elsewhere.)
Harper is unisex to me. I had seen it mentioned often in the beginning of the year on Yahoo Answers . I actually have a guilty spot for this name. I love it, but the possible connotation of someone who ‘harps’ over problems puts me off. I knew a Mona who was a Moaner, so, I do take this type of thing seriously. However, the musical connotation is lovely
I do adore the sound of the name, though.
Since I’ve recently met a boy called Harper, I find myself thinking that this one wears better on a boy than I initially thought. I just keep thinking of To Kill A Mockingbird … but then, that wasn’t her given name, either.
If I weren’t a nickname fiend, I think Harper would be among my faves, too, Natalie. Trouble is, what do you call your daughter for short? Harpy? That brings to mind the ravenous half-bird women of myth. So this name is clearly meant for those who can write the name on the birth certificate and be content to call their child the full name. Or, you know, dumpling or tater tot or whatever.
And, Kate, I know! I thought Harper would turn out to be just like Piper – never used as a given name until the 20th century. I’m guessing that those few male Harpers were wearing their mother’s maiden names. If I met a Harper today, I’d expect her to be a … well, a *her* and, of course, probably young.
We have a Harper and we call her Harps or Harper Alice. She was one of three in her preschool class, so we used her middle name as a double first name and that helped keep everyone straight! Harper Beckham arrived about a month before our Harper and I wanted to scratch the name from the list, but my husband still loved it and it really does suit her perfectly!
It’s funny. I never would have guessed Harper was a male name. It sounds so very feminine to me. Maybe it’s because of Harper Lee; I’m not sure.
Great name!!
I was actually going to suggest this one, it is quickly climbing up my fave girl names list 🙂