Harper

In 1960, Harper Lee's famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird, came out. Her name debuted in American records eleven years later. 

As with many feminine surnames associated with historical people, Harper was Lee's pen name. She was actually named Nelle Harper Lee. However, Harper has some seen feminine usage long before To Kill a Mockingbird came out. According to Eleanor "Elea" Nickerson on British Baby Names, 4-9 instances of girls named Harper appeared in English census records every twenty years between 1841 and 1901. 

Of course, having history is far from enough to make a name traditional. Many girls did not receive surnames as first names until the late twentieth century. This means that most surname names, including Harper, are contemporary for girls. 

Harper didn't even rank for girls before the mid-2000s. It first entered the top 1000 in 2004 and shot into the top 100 in 2011 and the top 10 in 2015. Harper left the top 10 in 2017, but it came back the next year. Since Harper rose so dramatically over just one decade, it's almost certain it will feel dated in twenty to thirty years. Perhaps it just left the top 10 again. Harper is the new Taylor, a similarly-structured surname that was popular in the 1990s and now feels dated. 

Even though Harper is much more popular for girls, it qualifies as unisex. It has ranked among the boys' top 1000 in the past. Harper's female dominance prevents it from feeling gender neutral, though. In addition, Harper is musical as the surname was originally given to harp players. 

If they don't have a problem with it being tied to the 2010s and 2020s, parents will appreciate contemporary Harper for its unisex surname style, literary heritage, and even its musical associations. 

STYLES:

Artistic, Surname, Unisex

SISTERS:

Briar, Emerson, Kennedy, Hadley, Quinn, Monroe, Tatum, Avery

BROTHERS:

Lincoln, Wyatt, Beckham, Flynn, Holden, Cash, Jameson, Porter

ALTERNATIVES:

Campbell, Darcy, Flannery, Halston, Harlow, Hollis, Larkin, Marlowe

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Harper." Names, Behind the Name, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/harper. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Harper." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 2 Apr. 2016, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2016/04/harper.html. 

What do you think about Harper? 

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