Thirty years of Harper
Harper in numbers
Harper has risen from 4 girls in 2001 (its first published year) to 1,367 in 2025, though it is below its peak of 1,796 in 2018. Its biggest three-year rise came between 2014 and 2017, from 623 to 1,608. It ranked 3,262nd in 2001, reached 22nd in 2023 and ranks 23rd now.
† Shapes, averages and turning points are Baby Data calculations from the ONS counts.
What the official statisticians said
“Harper, which has seen a rise since the Beckhams named their daughter so in 2011”
ONS, on 2019 births in England and Wales. Read the source
“Since the birth of David and Victoria Beckham’s daughter, Harper in 2011, the number of girls named Harper has increased”
ONS, on 2018 births in England and Wales. Read the source
“Harper was the girls’ name in the top 100 in 2016 with the biggest rise in popularity over the previous 10 years”
ONS, on 2016 births in England and Wales. Read the source
Quoted word for word from the official releases, including their own “may” and “could”. Baby Data has not added reasons of its own. Releases for Scotland and Northern Ireland are about babies there, not in England and Wales.
Milestones
First year in each bandChange
- On last year-6%1,461 to 1,367
- 5 years-3%1,415 to 1,367
- 10 years+39%980 to 1,367
- 20 years+19,429%7 to 1,367
- Since 2001 (first published)×3424 to 1,367
- Total, 1996 to 202517,151girls
† All changes and totals are Baby Data calculations from ONS counts. A total adds only the published years.
Across the three nations, 2025
Each from its own statistics office, never added togetherRank 23 · ONS · 1,461 in 2024
Rank 23 · NRS · 149 in 2024
Rank 39 · NISRA · 25 in 2024
England and Wales (ONS) count births in the calendar year; Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland (NISRA) count births registered in the year. Each comes from its own statistics office and they are never added together.
Year by year, 1996 to 2025 Show all 30 yearsHide the table
| Year | Rank | Babies | Change† | 1 in X† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | 1,367 | -6% | 1 in 208 |
| 2024 | 22 | 1,461 | -0% | 1 in 198 |
| 2023 | 22 | 1,466 | +1% | 1 in 196 |
| 2022 | 27 | 1,449 | -2% | 1 in 203 |
| 2021 | 26 | 1,480 | +5% | 1 in 206 |
| 2020 | 28 | 1,415 | -11% | 1 in 212 |
| 2019 | 29 | 1,586 | -12% | 1 in 196 |
| 2018 | 27 | 1,796 | +12% | 1 in 178 |
| 2017 | 34 | 1,608 | +28% | 1 in 206 |
| 2016 | 44 | 1,256 | +28% | 1 in 270 |
| 2015 | 63 | 980 | +57% | 1 in 347 |
| 2014 | 89 | 623 | +93% | 1 in 543 |
| 2013 * | 160 | 322 | +86% | 1 in 1,061 |
| 2012 | 284 | 173 | +312% | 1 in 2,054 |
| 2011 | =858 | 42 | +14% | 1 in 8,403 |
| 2010 | =930 | 37 | +42% | 1 in 9,519 |
| 2009 | =1,171 | 26 | +30% | 1 in 13,235 |
| 2008 | =1,391 | 20 | +25% | 1 in 17,287 |
| 2007 | =1,573 | 16 | +60% | 1 in 20,969 |
| 2006 | =2,137 | 10 | +43% | 1 in 32,717 |
| 2005 | =2,682 | 7 | +75% | 1 in 45,031 |
| 2004 | =3,725 | 4 | +33% | 1 in 77,843 |
| 2003 | =4,373 | 3 | 1 in 101,009 | |
| 2002 | n/a | under 3 | ||
| 2001 | =3,262 | 4 | 1 in 72,495 | |
| 2000 | n/a | under 3 | ||
| 1999 | n/a | under 3 | ||
| 1998 | n/a | under 3 | ||
| 1997 | n/a | under 3 | ||
| 1996 | n/a | under 3 |
* ONS’s girls’ 2013 file repeats the May total as April, so the 2013 births total is about 1,360 too high and 1 in X for 2013 is slightly too high. Rank follows ONS: names with the same count share a rank (shown with =). “Under 3” means the name was given to fewer than 3 babies that year, so ONS did not publish it.
Compare Harper
Share and download
Harper is in the free dataset (CSV and JSON), with the method and how to cite it.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; National Records of Scotland; NISRA. Exact spellings are counted separately and names given to fewer than 3 babies are not published. Figures marked † are Baby Data calculations. How we calculate
Harper is in our lists: Gender-neutral baby names.