Harper vs Koby
Harper and Kobycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Harper was ranked #398 and Koby #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harper was ranked #1402 and Koby #448 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harper was ranked #619 and Koby #619 among boys in Scotland.
Harper and Koby over time
Harper and Koby appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Koby held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Harper 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.
Harper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Koby 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Koby in 23.
Highest recorded here: Harper #618 in 2015, Koby #368 in 2020.
The order changed in 2001: Koby moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2425 and #2943; by 2001 that had become #2587 and #1135.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #1402, Koby #448.
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 | Harper | Koby |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹ.pəɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Koby does not have one recorded yet.
- Harper and Koby both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Koby doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Koby
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2859 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2008–2011
Highest recorded position: #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 2008–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys