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

Harps, 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 Harps surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harps in America

Harps is the 35147th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harps surname appeared 641 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Harps.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harps 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 Harps

The surname "HARPS" is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "harpere," which referred to a person who played the harp, a stringed musical instrument.

The earliest known record of the surname can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document from 1273, where a person named William le Harpour was listed. This suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to those who played the harp or were associated with the profession of harp-playing.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Harpur," "Harper," and "Harpers," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time period. One notable individual from this era was William Harpur, who was born in Bedfordshire around 1496 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bedford.

As the surname spread across England, it became associated with certain place names, such as Harpurhey, a suburban area in Manchester, and Harper Green, a village in Greater Manchester. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname "HARPS" or its variations.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with individuals like Robert Harpers, an English poet and playwright who lived from 1580 to 1625. Another notable figure was Samuel Harpur, a clergyman and author born in Derbyshire in 1638, who wrote several religious works.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname continued to be found throughout England, with individuals such as John Harpur, a British Army officer born in 1786, and Edward Harpur, a British politician and Member of Parliament for Tiverton, born in 1803.

Throughout its history, the surname "HARPS" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including musicians, writers, politicians, and military personnel. While the name originated as an occupational surname related to harp-playing, it has since become a widespread surname across English-speaking regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harps

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

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 Harps 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 Harps 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 Harps was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!