Harper vs Smilte
Harper and Smiltecompared 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, Harper was ranked #22 and Smilte #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Harper was ranked #65 and Smilte #905 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Harper and Smilte over time
Harper and Smilte appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Smilte in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Smilte reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Smilte in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harper #22 in 2024, Smilte #2062 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #22, Smilte #4843.
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 | Smilte |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Smilte does not have one recorded yet.
- Harper and Smilte both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Smilte doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Smilte
Popularity journey
First recorded2005
First recorded at #3970 among girls in England and Wales in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2006–2022
Highest recorded position: #465 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2011 (recorded 2006–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls