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