How Many People Are Named William Harper?

There are approximately 985 people named William Harper living in the United States today. That makes this name combination uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 347,974 Americans.

This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name William with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Harper. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and ancestry information.

Estimated People with This Name

985

1 in 347,974 Americans

Combination Rarity

Uncommon

Very Rare Very Common

William: Popularity Over Time

Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name William. The peak year was 1947 with 67,155 births. The average person named William today is 54 years old.

Male
Female
0 13K 27K 40K 54K 67K 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ancestry of the Harper Surname

Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Harper, from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

White
67.90%
Black
26.22%
Hispanic
2.31%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.49%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.72%
Two or More Races
2.36%

How we calculated this

The first name "William" has an estimated frequency of 0.681% among living Americans, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for mortality using CDC 2023 life tables.

The surname "Harper" appears at a rate of 42.19 per 100,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiplying these frequencies against the U.S. population of ~343 million gives 985 estimated people. This assumes first names and last names are statistically independent. Full methodology.

William Harper: Questions and Answers

How many people are named William Harper?

We estimate approximately 985 people named William Harper are alive in the United States today. The first name William is shared by 2,335,115 Americans, and the surname Harper is shared by 141,713.

How rare is the name William Harper?

This name combination is classified as Uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 347,974 Americans. The first name William is very common and the surname Harper is common.

Is William a male or female name?

William is predominantly male, with 99.6% of bearers being male and 0.4% female. It peaked in popularity in 1947 and the average bearer today is 54 years old.

Where does this data come from?

First name data comes from the Social Security Administration (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables. Surname data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. Full methodology.

How Many of Me
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There are 985 people with the name

William Harper

in the United States

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