Agatha vs Harper
Agatha and Harpercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Agatha was ranked #837 and Harper #22 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Agatha was ranked #885 and Harper #54 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Agatha and Harper over time
Agatha and Harper appear together in 2 published lists, across 32 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Agatha in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2024
Agatha held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Harper in 13.
Highest recorded here: Agatha #584 in 2019, Harper #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2012: Harper moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #789 and #858; by 2012 that had become #975 and #284.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Agatha #837, Harper #22.
Republic of Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2012–2025
Agatha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harper in 9.
Highest recorded here: Agatha #631 in 2024, Harper #53 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Agatha #885, Harper #54.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Agatha | Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English occupational surname for someone who played or made harps, from Old English 'hearpe'. Popularized as a given name partly through author Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (occupational surname) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhɑɹ.pəɹ/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Agatha does not have one recorded yet.
- Agatha has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Harper.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Agatha doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Agatha
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Harper
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2425 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2012–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls