The harper Surname
harper Name Meaning and History
English, Scottish, and Irish: occupational name for a player on the
harp, from an agent derivative of Middle English, Middle Dutch
harp ‘harp’. The harper was one of the most important figures
of a medieval baronial hall, especially in Scotland and northern
England, and the office of harper was sometimes hereditary. The
Scottish surname is probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac
Chruiteir ‘son of the harper’ (from Gaelic cruit ‘harp’,
‘stringed instrument’). This surname has long been present in Ireland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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