Esmae vs Harper
Esmae 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Esmae was ranked #315 and Harper #21 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Esmae was ranked #155 and Harper #22 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Esmae was ranked #718 and Harper #54 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Esmae was ranked #227 and Harper #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Esmae and Harper over time
Esmae and Harper appear together in 3 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Esmae 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, Harper moved ahead of Esmae in England and Wales · Girls — #153 and #160 the year before became #154 and #89.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2024
Esmae held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Harper in 12.
Highest recorded here: Esmae #102 in 2019, Harper #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2014: Harper moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #153 and #160; by 2014 that had become #154 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Esmae #155, Harper #22.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2015–2025
Esmae held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harper in 10.
Highest recorded here: Esmae #412 in 2024, Harper #53 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Esmae #718, Harper #54.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Esmae held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harper in 9.
Highest recorded here: Esmae #223 in 2021, Harper #38 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Esmae #227, Harper #84.
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 | Esmae | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Esmae does not have one recorded yet.
- Esmae and Harper both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Esmae doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Esmae
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #1958 among girls in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #102 among girls in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 1997–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 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