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Harper Family History

Harper Name Meaning

English (Staffordshire) Scottish Irish (Antrim and Down) and Dutch: occupational name for a player on the harp from Middle English harper(e) ‘harper’ (Old English hearpere) and Middle Dutch harper herper. 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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Harker, Harder, Happe, Hamper, Harrer, Harmer, Haver, Harer, Hafner

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Harper family from?

You can see how Harper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harper families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 248 Harper families living in Ohio. This was about 18% of all the recorded Harper's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Harper families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harper surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Harper ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Harper. 19% of Harper men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Harper women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Harper were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Harper | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
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What Harper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 822,000 census records available for the last name Harper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Harper

Passenger Lists

There are 70,000 immigration records available for the last name Harper. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Harper immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 128,000 military records available for the last name Harper. For the veterans among your Harper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Harper family history

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What is the average Harper lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Harper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Harper in 1940 was 44, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harper

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