Is Harper the new Ashley?

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 :slight_smile:

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 :slight_smile: