How Many People Are Named Harper?
An estimated 137,171 people in the United States have the first name Harper. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #391 overall. It is predominantly female (95.2%). The average bearer is 10 years old, and Harper peaked in popularity in 2016 with 11,101 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Harper as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Harper paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Harper has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- While Harper is overwhelmingly female, 6,692 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Harper is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 10, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
137,171
About 1 in 2,499 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
95.2% confidence
Average Age
10
years old
Peak Year
2016
11,101 births
Total Registered
138,906
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Harper
Harper is predominantly female (95.2%), though 6,692 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Harper as a male name
Ranked #1,791 in 2024
91 male births in 2024
Peak: 2012 (416 births)
Harper as a female name
Ranked #12 in 2024
7,370 female births in 2024
Peak: 2016 (10,802 births)
Harper in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 92,376 people with the first name Harper, which placed it at #579 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Harper was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 92,376 people with this name in that snapshot, 5.6% were male and 94.4% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 95.2% of the time.
Census Count
92,376
people with this name
Census Rank
#579
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
30.58
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Harper was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.76%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (5.95%) and Hispanic (5.27%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Harper in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Harper.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 83.76% | 77,376 |
| Two or More Races | 5.95% | 5,498 |
| Hispanic | 5.27% | 4,872 |
| Black | 3.09% | 2,852 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.38% | 1,274 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.55% | 508 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Harper: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Harper span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 88,375 babies were registered. While Harper is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Harper by Decade
How has Harper tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Harper by State
Birth registrations for Harper span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, Ohio. The lowest are in District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Hawaii. On average, about 2,654 Harpers were registered per state.
Harper + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Harper as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Harper
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
Harper: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Harper?
We estimate approximately 137,171 people named Harper are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,499 Americans share this first name.
Is Harper a common name?
Harper is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 138,906 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Harper most popular?
Harper reached peak popularity in 2016, when 11,101 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Harper is approximately 10 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Harper in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 92,376 people with the first name Harper. That placed it at #579 in the published Census first-name tables, or 30.58 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Harper was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Harper?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Harper was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 5.6% male and 94.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Harper?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Harper was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.76%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (5.95%) and Hispanic (5.27%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Harper a female name?
Harper is predominantly female. 95.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Harper have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Harper peaked in 2016, and the average living bearer is about 10 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Harper Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Harper Smith, Harper Johnson, Harper Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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