Is Harper the next Madison?

leah1615 · July 2010

I love the name Harper, but I fear that it's going to become extremely popular and overdone and sound like how Madison now sounds. My 16-year-old cousin is named Madison and back then it was so cool and different, but now it is just completely overdone and makes my ears bleed when people STILL naming their kids this. WDYT?

TColeman · July 2010

Yes, lots of Madison's going around. I have only met and know 1 Harper, a guy who's 34. I haven't heard of Harper becoming super popular now.

jallascalla · July 2010

Yes!

alohamora · July 2010

I don't know if it's going to get as popular as Madison, but I think this dilemma you're talking about is precisely what happens with trendy names. They're timestamped and become overdone. So if you're going to pick a trendy rather than classic/traditional name, that just kind of comes with the territory, IMO.

Becky262 · July 2010

I only know one Harper (and that's through a blog, not IRL)

If you love it, use it but I think the last-name-turned-cool-trendy-first-name thing is getting old.

lovemytwoboys · July 2010

It seems like it based on these boards!

fineskyline · July 2010

Unfortunately, I agree. I love Harper, but am just about too scared to actually use it at this point.

KLMFBP3 · July 2010

Yes, I think it is becoming very very common...but meant to stand out as original and trendy

blueskybride · July 2010

No, and here's why: Madison has absolutely no roots as a name other than being a surname and it's popularity is attributed to Darryl Hannah's character in Splash. Harper is both a surname and comes from Harper Lee, who was actually Nell Harper Lee. This gives is a nice literary association and some style and weight that keeps it from being so trendy. And I know very few of them ... even here, in the South.

CrazyToast · July 2010

I think it's very possible. I'm amazed at how many people talk about the name on here.

Madison is EVERYWHERE. I teach elementary school and I have known a lot of Madisons - and many in the same class together.

strangebird · July 2010

I think it very easily could be. If you're at all concerned about the popularity, I think you should look for another name. I looked at the states for Harper earlier in the week and it has jumped an average of 100+ places on the SSA list each of the last five years. Even if it slows dramatically this year, it will still place in the Top 100. And, as you no doubt realize, it's not the first year of popularity that makes it "a Madison" but the fourth, or fifth, or sixth.

lost in austen · July 2010

fitzpemberley:
I don't know if it's going to get as popular as Madison, but I think this dilemma you're talking about is precisely what happens with trendy names. They're timestamped and become overdone. So if you're going to pick a trendy rather than classic/traditional name, that just kind of comes with the territory, IMO.

Yes, this exactly. I'm not sure if it'll be as popular as Madison, but it's risen to popularity so fast, I feel like it'll always sound like a 2010-2015 ish name.

azgrlbride · July 2010

Me and DH just talked about this name today. I love it but it does sound very trendy and is becoming super popular.

Harper'smom · July 2010

I always get a kick out of reading posts about this name. DH and I picked the name when I was 6 weeks pregnant in 2008 in hopes we would have a girl. I mentioned the name to DH during a phone call and he was excited because of the Harper Lee reference. I came home to him and a group of friends watching a Lakers playoff game and he had on a Laker jersey. It was an old Ron "Hollywood" Harper jersey and he had been wearing it all day and not realized it when we talked about the name. The coincidence sealed the deal for us.

While she was in the womb Lisa Marie Presley and I beleive the Dixie Chick named their daughters Harper. After our DD was born Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl named their daughters Harper and now the Saved By the Bell chic did as well. Everytime this happened my stepmom sends me an annoying message saying "did you know so and so named their baby Harper?" as if it had any bearing on our decision. I don't care because we picked a name that had meaning to us and it suits DD perfectly.

Is it "the next Madison"? I don't think so and I don't think it is trendy or "2009" either although it trended upwards in 2009. I think it is talked about a lot on The Bump which I think people need to remember is not RL (but that's another thread in itself). IRL we have not met another Harper and we usually have to repeat the name when introducing her. I havn't met someone IRL that has met another Harper. However, we know 6 Madisons and 4 Sophias IRL. Still waiting to meet a mythical Neveah.

cari12 · August 2010

Harper'smom:

I always get a kick out of reading posts about this name. DH and I picked the name when I was 6 weeks pregnant in 2008 in hopes we would have a girl. I mentioned the name to DH during a phone call and he was excited because of the Harper Lee reference. I came home to him and a group of friends watching a Lakers playoff game and he had on a Laker jersey. It was an old Ron "Hollywood" Harper jersey and he had been wearing it all day and not realized it when we talked about the name. The coincidence sealed the deal for us.

While she was in the womb Lisa Marie Presley and I beleive the Dixie Chick named their daughters Harper. After our DD was born Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl named their daughters Harper and now the Saved By the Bell chic did as well. Everytime this happened my stepmom sends me an annoying message saying "did you know so and so named their baby Harper?" as if it had any bearing on our decision. I don't care because we picked a name that had meaning to us and it suits DD perfectly.

Is it "the next Madison"? I don't think so and I don't think it is trendy or "2009" either although it trended upwards in 2009. I think it is talked about a lot on The Bump which I think people need to remember is not RL (but that's another thread in itself). IRL we have not met another Harper and we usually have to repeat the name when introducing her. I havn't met someone IRL that has met another Harper. However, we know 6 Madisons and 4 Sophias IRL. Still waiting to meet a mythical Neveah.

I have a Harper too, and ever since she was born I've heard of SO many others - all girls too.

Two ladies on my local bump board had daughters named Harper this year. One of my HS friends has a niece named Harper, there was another mom in my playgroup up here that has a little girl named Harper and one of the other moms had a friend in another state with a Harper as well, a friend of a friend just had a Harper this spring too. Just in the last month I've come across 3 more: One of my mom's co-workers had a baby girl a few weeks ago they named Harper and a friend of my brother's that I met recently also has a niece named Harper. Then my DH's aunt called us to tell us that her granddaughter had a friend in her little summer day camp who had a baby sister named Harper. Not to mention the times I've told her name to a stranger in the store and heard "oh I have a niece/granddaughter/friend's kid with that name!", the celebs (as you've mentioned) who are using it and there are a couple popular mommy bloggers with Harpers too.

I live in Alaska and most of these people I know of live in and around the Pacific NW area so maybe the name is just extra popular in this area of the country. It also seems to be pretty popular in the South though too.

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