Find out how popular the last name Harp is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Harp.

Harp, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Harp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harp in America

Harp is the 2638th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harp surname appeared 13,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Harp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harp to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Harp

The surname Harp originates from England and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hearpere," which translates to "a harper" or a person who played the harp, a stringed musical instrument. The name was likely a nickname initially given to someone whose profession or skill was playing the harp.

In medieval England, harpists were highly regarded and often employed by nobility and the clergy. They played a significant role in court entertainments and religious ceremonies. The earliest recorded instances of the name Harp can be found in various historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century, where a person named Richard le Harpur is mentioned.

The Harp surname is also closely associated with certain geographical locations in England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name are linked to places like Harpsden in Oxfordshire and Harbury in Warwickshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Harp throughout history include William Harp, a 14th-century English landowner from Gloucestershire, who is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1347. Another prominent figure was John Harp, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century (born around 1530, died in 1598).

In the 17th century, Thomas Harp (1624-1693) was a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. During the same period, Robert Harp (1643-1699) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland.

In the 18th century, John Harp (1742-1826) was a distinguished English painter and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and engravings of historical events. He was born in Nottinghamshire and spent most of his career in London.

Throughout its history, the Harp surname has been subject to various spellings, such as Harpe, Harpur, Harper, and Harpour, reflecting the regional variations and changing orthography of the English language over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harp

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Harp.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Harp was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Harp has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Harp was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Harp, please contact us.

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