| Harper | Addison | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Harp player | Child of Adam |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | HAR-per | AD-uh-sun |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1971 | 1980 |
| Peak year | 2016 (10,803) | 2007 (11,949) |
| In 2025 | 6,792 | 2,971 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Harper | Addison |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 47,509 | 22,797 |
| 2010s | 85,193 | 71,021 |
| 2000s | 5,671 | 51,389 |
| 1990s | 563 | 3,468 |
| 1980s | 82 | 218 |
| 1970s | 45 | 0 |
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.
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 more popular than Addison today: about 6,792 US babies were given the name Harper in 2025, compared with 2,971 named Addison.
Harper means Harp player (English origin), while Addison means Child of Adam (English origin).
In US records, Harper first appears in 1971 and Addison in 1980, so Harper has the longer recorded history.