Harper vs Nana
Harper and Nanacompared 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, Harper was ranked #21 and Nana #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #23 and Nana #816 among girls in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Harper was ranked #2952 and Nana #621 among boys in England and Wales.
Harper and Nana over time
Harper and Nana appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Nana 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Nana in 16.
Highest recorded here: Harper #618 in 2015, Nana #576 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #2952, Nana #621.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Nana in 8.
Highest recorded here: Harper #22 in 2023, Nana #678 in 2006.
The order changed in 2010: Harper moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #1171 and #1022; by 2010 that had become #930 and #946.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #23, Nana #816.
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 | Nana |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #621 (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)); Nana does not have one recorded yet.
- Harper and Nana both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Nana doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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 #23 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Nana
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #974 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 recorded2001–2003
Highest recorded position: #409 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 2001–2003).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #816 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls