| Avery | Harper | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ruler of elves | Harp player |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-vuh-ree | HAR-per |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1890 | 1971 |
| Peak year | 2014 (9,578) | 2016 (10,803) |
| In 2025 | 5,267 | 6,792 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Avery | Harper |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 36,617 | 47,509 |
| 2010s | 82,921 | 85,193 |
| 2000s | 41,706 | 5,671 |
| 1990s | 6,697 | 563 |
| 1980s | 952 | 82 |
| 1970s | 318 | 45 |
| 1960s | 168 | 0 |
| 1950s | 149 | 0 |
| 1940s | 112 | 0 |
| 1930s | 79 | 0 |
| 1920s | 151 | 0 |
| 1910s | 93 | 0 |
| 1900s | 37 | 0 |
| 1890s | 6 | 0 |
Avery comes from an English surname derived from the Germanic Alberic, “elf ruler.” Once a boy’s name, it is now popular for girls.
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 Avery today: about 6,792 US babies were given the name Harper in 2025, compared with 5,267 named Avery.
Avery means Ruler of elves (English origin), while Harper means Harp player (English origin).
In US records, Avery first appears in 1890 and Harper in 1971, so Avery has the longer recorded history.