Harper vs Willow
Harper and Willowcompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Harper was ranked #5 and Willow #6 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #15 and Willow #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #22 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #21 and Willow #29 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #84 and Willow #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #54 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harper was ranked #1402 and Willow #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Harper and Willow over time
Harper and Willow appear together in 6 published lists, across 92 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.
Harper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Willow 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Harper moved ahead of Willow in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #14 and #10 the year before became #12 and #19.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harper and Willow changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2011 and 2025, ending at #15 and #23.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Harper #22 in 2023, Willow #9 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Willow in 23.
Highest recorded here: Harper #22 in 2023, Willow #9 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #22, Willow #21.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Willow in 4.
Highest recorded here: Harper #7 in 2024, Willow #10 in 2022.
The order changed in 2023: Harper moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #14 and #10; by 2023 that had become #12 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #15, Willow #23.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 2009–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Willow in 11.
Highest recorded here: Harper #53 in 2018, Willow #29 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #54, Willow #58.
England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 2005–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harper #670 in 2014, Willow #2325 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #1402, Willow #4270.
Northern Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2012–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Willow in 11.
Highest recorded here: Harper #38 in 2021, Willow #24 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #84, Willow #44.
New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 2012–2023
Harper held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Willow in 3.
Highest recorded here: Harper #2 in 2017, Willow #5 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harper #5, Willow #6.
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 | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name. |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | English, a modern nature name from the willow tree |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹ.pəɹ/ | /ˈwɪl.oʊ/ |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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 is recorded with a English (occupational surname) origin, while Willow is recorded with a English, a modern nature name from the willow tree origin.
- Harper and Willow both have 2 syllables.
- Harper's recorded meaning differs from Willow's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Willow
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 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 recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls