Harper
Girl name · #16 in 2025 · Uniqueness 44/100
Harper ranks #16 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 6,792 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #10, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 265 girls born in 2025 was named Harper.
The 54-year story
Harper first appears in the Social Security records in 1971, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 10,803 girls were named Harper — good for #11 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Harper per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Harper against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Harper in class?
Harper scores 44 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Harper is most common
Geography matters for names, and Harper is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Harpers were TX (543), CA (430), FL (320), NY (296), PA (296). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Harper
Statistically, parents drawn to Harper tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Camila, Piper, Violet, Penelope, and Aurora.
CamilaPiperVioletPenelopeAuroraAriaScarlettNora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Harper | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,792 | #16 |
| 2024 | 7,394 | #12 |
| 2023 | 7,799 | #11 |
| 2022 | 8,227 | #11 |
| 2021 | 8,448 | #10 |
| 2020 | 8,849 | #10 |
| 2019 | 10,497 | #9 |
| 2018 | 10,646 | #9 |
| 2017 | 10,524 | #11 |
| 2016 | 10,803 | #11 |
| 2015 | 10,311 | #10 |
| 2014 | 9,619 | #11 |
| 2013 | 8,284 | #16 |
| 2012 | 7,199 | #24 |
| 2011 | 4,676 | #54 |
| 2010 | 2,634 | #120 |
| 2009 | 1,904 | #173 |
| 2008 | 1,128 | #296 |
| 2007 | 729 | #440 |
| 2006 | 597 | #510 |
| 2005 | 363 | #741 |
| 2004 | 274 | #887 |
| 2003 | 200 | #1100 |
| 2002 | 164 | #1224 |
| 2001 | 176 | #1170 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Harper a popular girl name?
Harper ranked #16 among girls in 2025 with 6,792 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #10.
When was the name Harper most popular?
Harper peaked in 2016, when 10,803 American girls received the name (ranked #11 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Harper?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 265 newborn American girls was named Harper. It scores 44/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.