2000
#226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119,868
First available Census row
Per 100,000 44.43
Common Last name
Harper
An occupational surname referring to someone who played the harp or made harps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136,679 Americans carry the last name Harper. That puts it at #255 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 39.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,508 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harper surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Harper with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
137K
1 in 2,508
Census rank
#255
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
39.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119,191 bearers of the surname Harper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 39.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 255th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harper, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harper
The surname Harper originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "harpere," which means "harper" or "one who plays the harp." The name likely referred to skilled musicians who entertained in the great halls of lords and nobles during that era.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a John le Harper was mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records created in 1274-1275 to survey landholdings and tenants throughout England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Harpour, Harpor, and Harpare, reflecting the different spellings and pronunciations of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was William Harper, a renowned poet and composer who lived in Scotland in the late 15th century.
The Harper surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Harper's Hill in Surrey and Harper's Wood in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from people with the Harper surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Harper surname. One of the most famous was Samuel Harper (1766-1825), an American writer and editor who founded the publishing house Harper & Brothers, which later became HarperCollins Publishers.
Another well-known Harper was Robert Goodloe Harper (1765-1825), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Maryland. He was a prominent figure during the early years of the United States and played a key role in the ratification of the Constitution.
In the field of literature, Lilian Harper (1879-1952) was a British novelist and playwright known for her works exploring themes of social and political issues. Her novel "Unwilling Traveller" was a notable success in the early 20th century.
Charley Harper (1922-2007) was an American artist renowned for his distinctive stylized wildlife prints and illustrations. His minimalist designs and vibrant colors became iconic in the mid-20th century and influenced many artists and designers.
Additionally, the Harper surname has been associated with several notable scientists and researchers, including James Harper (1795-1869), an American botanist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life and geology in the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harper
Among Census respondents with the surname Harper, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Harper bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Harper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.3% · 77,801
- Black or African American25.4% · 30,329
- Two or more races4.6% · 5,532
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4,045
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 747
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 737
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harper
Harper appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124,461
+4,593 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 42.19
Rank movement Down 19 places
2020
#255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119,191
-5,270 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 39.88
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #226 | 119,868 | 44.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #245 | 124,461 | 42.19 | +4,593 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 19 places |
| 2020 | #255 | 119,191 | 39.88 | -5,270 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 10 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Harper surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #245 | #255 | -4.1% |
| Count | 124,461 | 119,191 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 42.19 | 39.88 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harper bearers went from 124,461 to 119,191 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #245 to #255.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harper
FAQ
Harper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harper?
Name Census estimates that about 136,679 living Americans carry the surname Harper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,508 residents.
How common is Harper?
Harper ranks #255 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 39.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 40 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119,191 people with the surname Harper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 39.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 39.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 40 of them to have the surname Harper.
Has Harper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harper went from 124,461 recorded bearers to 119,191. That is a decrease of 5,270 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #245 to #255.
What does the Census say about the background of Harper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harper, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.4%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Harper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.3% (77,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.3%), Black (25.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Harper (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Harper mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who played the harp or made harps. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Harper (39.88 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Harper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.