Origins of the Harper surname

What does the name Harper mean?

The origin of the Harper surname is English. It is an occupational surname and would have been given to someone who played the harp (a popular medieval instrument) at fairs, festivals or in a noble household, and then passed to their descendants. In aristocratic homes, the occupation could be considered an official position of great prestige.

Alternative variations of the name Harper

Harper, Harpar, Harpers, Harber, Herper

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Delve deeper into the Harper family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 838North West 571Isle of Man 14Yorkshire 1923East Midlands 493West Midlands 2919East 658London 2653South East 1070South West 671South Wales 300Mid Wales 43West Wales 19North Wales 40Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Harpers lived in west-midlands

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

36,000 Harper Travel & migration records
180,000 Harpers found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Harper

How common is your surname?

205th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Harper surname. The oldest one dates back to 1539.

Who were Harpers most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Harpers.

What are the most common Harper first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Harper family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Harpers

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Harpers in 1921

Dressmaker

815

Domestic Servant

569

Laundress

455

General Servant Domestic

434

House Servant

371

Common male occupations for Harpers in 1921

Coal Miner

861

Agricultural Labourer

720

General Labourer

645

Farmer

601

Farm Labourer

473

We found over 220,000 family trees with the Harper surname

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