Harlee vs Harper
Harlee 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, Harlee was ranked #3015 and Harper #22 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Harlee was ranked #418 and Harper #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Harlee was ranked #905 and Harper #65 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harlee was ranked #2443 and Harper #1402 among boys in England and Wales.
Harlee and Harper over time
Harlee and Harper appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Harlee 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.
Harlee reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Harper in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harlee and Harper changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1999 and 2024, ending at #2443 and #1402.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1999–2024
Harlee held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Harper in 13.
Highest recorded here: Harlee #805 in 2012, Harper #618 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harlee #2443, Harper #1402.
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 2003–2024
Harlee held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Harper in 20.
Highest recorded here: Harlee #836 in 2017, Harper #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2004: Harper moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #3594 and #4373; by 2004 that had become #4598 and #3725.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harlee #3015, Harper #22.
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 | Harlee | Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) | 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) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Harlee does not have one recorded yet.
- Harlee and Harper both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Harlee doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Harlee
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2017–2022
Highest recorded position: #281 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2017–2022).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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