My husband and I love the name [name]Harper[/name], and have for quite some time. I was so upset when [name]Victoria[/name] named her baby that and knew it would skyrocket, even though other celebs named their babies [name]Harper[/name] way before she did. Now, it’s climbing on the SS list like nobody’s business!! So, is this name going to become the [name]Ashley[/name] of the 21st century? Is it a mistake to name our baby [name]Harper[/name] if/when have a girl? The full name would be [name]Harper[/name] [name]Anneliese[/name] ([name]Anneliese[/name] after my mom and sister’s middle). I’m a teacher and know how annoying it is when you have 3 [name]Bella[/name]'s in your class. Is this how [name]Harper[/name] will be? [name]Do[/name] you think we should forget about the name or keep it on our list because we love it so much?? Any other suggestions for surnames or masculine names for a girl? Thanks for your opinions!
I definitely think it’s the new [name]Ashley[/name].
[name]Aubrey[/name] used to be, but it’s being beaten out by [name]Harper[/name] imo. I would not be surprised to see [name]Harper[/name] in the top 5 with in the next two years.
I don’t know the answer to the question, but I do wonder why in the US does the name that the [name]Beckham[/name]'s choose for their daughter have so much impact when soccer/football is not one of the mainstream sports?
I think you should go with what you love. [name]Harper[/name] is a beautiful name.
I have been noticing it getting more popular. I don’t know if it will be the next [name]Ashley[/name], but if popularity is a serious issue for you, then I would definitely nix it from off your list. There is the Icelandic female name, Harpa, which has the same meaning. Have you considered just plain [name]Harp[/name]? I think that would make a cool name. Other suggestions you might like:
Audeley
[name]Bellamy[/name]
Bracken
[name]Bronte[/name]
[name]Chandler[/name]
Darlington
[name]Dewey[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name]
[name]Fane[/name]
[name]Finch[/name]
Greenlee
[name]Holland[/name]
Isley
[name]Jay[/name]
Kellett
Keriel
[name]London[/name]
Loveney
Medeley
Millis
[name]Morven[/name]
[name]Oakley[/name]
[name]Paisley[/name]
[name]Poe[/name]
[name]Radley[/name]
Risley
Sadler
[name]Sheridan[/name]
[name]Sparrow[/name]
Spicer
[name]Sterling[/name]
Thursby
[name]Waverly[/name]
Wensley
[name]Winter[/name]
[name]Harper[/name] was already trendy before they used it. It was a fairly common unisex name in the Southern United States. I don’t think it has anything to do with them at all
Well, it has soared in popularity but it’s not as bad as you think. If you combine spellings of all names (which they don’t do on the original SS list) then [name]Harper[/name] comes in at #154, rather than #119. Still combining spelling, rougly 2606 girls in the US were called [name]Harper[/name] in 2010. Compare that with 26996 Sophias (if you combine all the spellings, this is actually #1) and 26461 Isabellas and you can already see it’s not so bad. Not to mention the thousands of girls called the 151 other names that come before [name]Harper[/name].
[name]Victoria[/name] [name]Beckham[/name] is an international celebrity.
Spice Girls were a huge hit in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name], plus she has a fashion line. So it’s not necessarily because of [name]David[/name] [name]Beckham[/name] why people care what they name their daughter.
More ideas:
Adanet
[name]Amis[/name]
[name]Beverly[/name]
[name]Blythe[/name]
[name]Brewster[/name]
Challis
[name]Chancy[/name]
[name]Clary[/name]
Doré
[name]Garland[/name]
[name]Gray[/name]
[name]Hawthorne[/name]
[name]Kendall[/name]
[name]Langley[/name]
[name]Lee[/name]
Lovelace
Maitland
[name]Marlowe[/name]
[name]Merle[/name]
[name]Neve[/name]
Rameau (ruh-MOH)
[name]Ridley[/name]
[name]Ryder[/name]
[name]Rylan[/name]
[name]Silver[/name]
Simonet
Snowden
[name]Starling[/name]
[name]Sutton[/name]
[name]Wren[/name]
I do think it will continue to become more popular - how popular I can’t predict. [name]One[/name] indication of its rising popularity is that in some states (you can look up the Social Security baby name statistics by state) it is already more popular than the 100-something that it is nationally. Who knows how long it will continue to be popular? [name]Ashley[/name] is still around, although fading.
For example, in 2010… and likely it got more popular in 2011 and 2011.
[name]HARPER[/name] (119 - nationally)
SD-11
NE-27
NV-27
ND-30
WY-31
OK-41
[name]AL[/name]-50
[name]MO[/name]-61
TN-64
MT-68
VT-68
MN - 75
WI-75
NH-78
WA-78
OR-93
SC-96
For some reason, more western states such as the Dakotas, [name]Wyoming[/name], [name]Montana[/name], etc. start using trendier names first… then I think they spread. If you look on the name lists for those states, you will see this. [name]Piper[/name] is another one like that. [name]Just[/name] something I have observed lately.
Whether to use [name]Harper[/name] or not – depends on how much its popularity bothers you. You have to weigh your love of the name against that - for me, the love of the name would win.
In the case of the Beckhams, I think they just chose an already rising name.
I like [name]Hadley[/name], but that’s another name I think will continue to get more popular.
Maybe [name]Sutton[/name], [name]Sawyer[/name], [name]Monroe[/name], [name]Harlow[/name], [name]Marlo[/name], [name]Ambrose[/name], [name]Bardo[/name], [name]Cameron[/name], [name]Easton[/name], [name]Weston[/name], [name]Jasper[/name], [name]Juno[/name], [name]Hunter[/name], [name]Piper[/name], [name]Quincy[/name], [name]Sailor[/name], [name]Taylor[/name], [name]Wylie[/name], [name]Vesper[/name]?
Personally, I don’t think it will be as big as [name]Ava[/name] or [name]Isabella[/name]. Is it going to be popular? Yep. I am not a fan of unisex names, so I would go with something different. However, I do see the appeal of this one and think you should use a name you love.
The name hasn’t really hit the UK yet, whereas it was already mildly trendy in the US before [name]Harper[/name] [name]Beckham[/name] came along. I can’t imagine it being so popular you meet loads and loads of them but then again who knows?! Like a previous poster said you need to decide if the potential popularity of the name bothers you. If your little [name]Harper[/name] was to share her name with just one child in her class would that bother you? I think there is that possibility with the name [name]Harper[/name].
I’m not a fan of boys names on girls generally but I do like [name]Peyton[/name], [name]Greer[/name], [name]Arden[/name], [name]Sutton[/name], [name]Darby[/name] and [name]Bellamy[/name], maybe one of those appeals?
If [name]Harper[/name] bothers you I’d avoid [name]Avery[/name], [name]Aubrey[/name], [name]Sawyer[/name] etc.
I think it is or going to be right up there with the Ashleys, Jennifers and the Jessicas.
rollo
It’s definitely the new [name]Ashley[/name]! I know three little girls named [name]Harper[/name] all born within a month of each other! I can see it being in the top 5 names soon.
I agree that it’s definitely the new [name]Ashley[/name]! I don’t know any Harpers yet but I have heard it talked about everywhere and it just keeps getting more popular.
But, as an [name]Ashley[/name], can I say, it’s not always that bad? I was terribly shy as a kid and liked that having a common name like [name]Ashley[/name] made me feel like I belong.
I would say [name]Harper[/name] is the new [name]Taylor[/name], not the new [name]Ashley[/name]. [name]Harper[/name] doesn’t have the same soft sounds as [name]Ashley[/name], and because of its strong unisex vibe I don’t think it’ll get as popular as [name]Ashley[/name] did. It’s also worthy to note that [name]Harper[/name] is rising for boys too, just as [name]Taylor[/name] did.
Regardless, I’ve yet to meet a single [name]Harper[/name] in my area.
I agree. I think it will be like [name]Taylor[/name] or [name]Shannon[/name]. Boys and girls… then more for girls eventually as it gets ‘girlnapped’.
If you don’t want a “[name]Bella[/name]” don’t choose [name]Harper[/name].
emiliaj
Thanks for your opinions Berries! We’re keeping it on our list for now and we’ll see how popular it gets =) We also love [name]Isla[/name] because it isn’t super popular. Another favorite of ours is [name]Anniston[/name]. Thanks for the suggestions!!
I don’t think it should matter. If you love [name]Harper[/name] then use it