Harley vs Harper

Harley 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, Harley was ranked #215 and Harper #21 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Harley was ranked #418 and Harper #22 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Harley was ranked #443 and Harper #54 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Harley was ranked #337 and Harper #84 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Harley was ranked #90 and Harper #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harley was ranked #148 and Harper #1402 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2011, Harley was ranked #342 and Harper #623 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harley was ranked #352 and Harper #619 among boys in Scotland.

Harley and Harper over time

Harley and Harper appear together in 4 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Harley in 1.

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.

Harley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Harper in 1. 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.

Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Harley #45 in 2014, Harper #618 in 2015.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Harley held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Harper in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harley #45 in 2014, Harper #618 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harley #148, Harper #1402.
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2024
Harley held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Harper in 13.
Highest recorded here: Harley #191 in 2017, Harper #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2012: Harper moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #665 and #858; by 2012 that had become #519 and #284.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harley #418, Harper #22.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2012–2025
Harley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harper in 14.
Highest recorded here: Harley #168 in 2020, Harper #53 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harley #443, Harper #54.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 2012–2024
Harley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harper in 12.
Highest recorded here: Harley #158 in 2020, Harper #38 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harley #337, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Harper

Pairs where Harper shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Harper vs Aurora
Harper and Aurora both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Aurora · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Harper vs Daisy
Harper and Daisy both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Daisy · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Harper vs Elsie
Harper and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Elsie · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Harper vs Poppy
Harper and Poppy both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Poppy · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Harley, Harper
Field	Harley	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	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (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)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Harley does not have one recorded yet.
Harley and Harper both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Harper; Harley doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Harley

Popularity journey

First recorded1986
First recorded at #94 among boys in New Zealand in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #45 among boys in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 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