Primarily a girl's name, Piper is an English name that means someone who plays the musical pipe, flute, or bagpipes. It's trendy, sounds modern, and has an interesting meaning (perhaps several).
While its English meaning is the most commonly accepted, there are other theories about where the name Piper comes from. One is that Piper may be a variant of the Irish name Peppard, which itself comes from the Roman Latin word "piper," meaning "pepper." So, essentially, another meaning of Piper could be "pepper."
There's also a theory that Piper refers to someone who cleans pipes for a living. This would have come about when other occupational surnames (like Hunter, Mason, and Carter) first became common – mainly during the Middle Ages.
Regardless of the meaning, Piper has proven to be influential in the last two decades. The name started making an impact in 1999 when it landed on the U.S. Social Security Administration's top 1,000 names given to girls.
It quickly made it to the top 100 girl's names just over a decade after emerging on the list. Piper has hovered around the top 100 since 2012, suggesting that its appeal for parents is strong and steady.
Piper is a sweet and spunky name without many nicknames or variations – though the spelling Pyper is a possibility.
Piper Curda : Actress and singer who appeared in the Disney TV show A.N.T. Farm
Lorenzo "Piper" Davis : American baseball player who played in segregated league in the 1940s
Piper Dellums : American author known for her short story "Simunye," which was adapted into the Emmy-winning film The Color of Friendship
Piper Gilles : American-Canadian ice dancer and World Figure Skating medalist
Piper Laurie : Golden Globe-winning American actress known for her roles in The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God
Piper Kerman : Author of the memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, which inspired the Netflix show of the same name
Piper Perabo : Actress known for appearing in Coyote Ugly, Cheaper by the Dozen, Looper, and Angel Has Fallen
Piper Laurie : actress
Piper Perabo : actress