Harper Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Harper Family

10,667 Harper records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

10,667Records in our database

1817Earliest birth

4Documented families

3Biographies

See the Harper family trees →426 Harper families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

10,667 Harper records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Missouri (2,902 of 10,667)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Ben Harper, born 1817, Illinois

Most common first names

William289 John256 Mary245 James236 Robert231 George157 Charles146 Ruth106 Helen104 Margaret94 Dorothy89 Harry81

Documented families

Harper families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Harper family of Wapello CountyIowaStarts: W. T. Harper, Sr. (b. 1833)Most recent: Russell W. Harper (b. 1877)

Family records from county histories (3)

James HarperLeavenworth County, KansasStarts: James HarperMost recent: Floyd E. Harper Floyd E. Harper b. 1879Leavenworth County, KansasStarts: James Harper & Bertha PatrickMost recent: Eleanor Harper, William Harper, Floyd E. Harper Jr.W. T. Harper 1827 to 1894Wapello County, IowaStarts: W. T. Harper (b. 1827)Most recent: Mrs. Edward A. Jones, W. T. Harper, Jr., Harry C. Harper

The earliest Harpers in the county histories

John HarperBorn 1798Champaign County, Ohio James HarperBorn 1804, Delaware CountyChild of Archibald Harper and Sarah (Reynolds) HarperMarion County, Ohio John HarperBorn 1808Child of James Harper and Catharine (Vickery) HarperWarren County, Ohio Addison HarperBorn 1809Ray County, Missouri William Sanford HarperBorn 1810Darke County, Ohio George HarperBorn 1810, Northumberland CountyWyandot County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

426 Harper families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

27 Harper death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

43 Harper people in 28 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (3)

Samuel Houston HarperBorn 1843 · Wapello County, Iowa W. T. HarperBorn 1868 · Wapello County, Iowa Russell W. HarperBorn 1877 · Wapello County, Iowa

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Harper family

Found your Harper? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Harper genealogy: FAQ

Where were Harper ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 10,667 Harper records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Missouri (2,902), then Ohio (2,160) and Illinois (1,481).

How far back does the Harper family tree go?

The earliest Harper birth in our database is 1817: Ben Harper, Illinois. We have pieced together 426 Harper family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Harper family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Harper family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.