| Addison | Harper | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Child of Adam | Harp player |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AD-uh-sun | HAR-per |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1980 | 1971 |
| Peak year | 2007 (11,949) | 2016 (10,803) |
| In 2025 | 2,971 | 6,792 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Addison | Harper |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 22,797 | 47,509 |
| 2010s | 71,021 | 85,193 |
| 2000s | 51,389 | 5,671 |
| 1990s | 3,468 | 563 |
| 1980s | 218 | 82 |
| 1970s | 0 | 45 |
Addison is an English surname meaning “son of Adam.” Once a boy’s surname, it became a top girls’ name in the 2000s.
Harper is an English occupational surname for someone who played or made harps. Boosted by the novelist Harper Lee, it became a hugely popular girls’ name.
Harper is more popular than Addison today: about 6,792 US babies were given the name Harper in 2025, compared with 2,971 named Addison.
Addison means Child of Adam (English origin), while Harper means Harp player (English origin).
In US records, Addison first appears in 1980 and Harper in 1971, so Harper has the longer recorded history.