If your patronym is "Harper", your family from way back came from someone who played the harp. Just like, MacNeil meant "son of Neil", McKinney meant "son of Kinney", O'hara meant "of the family of Hara". The original harp was a small instrument, light enough to be carried in hand or packed on a camel or horse! In various sizes, it can be called a lap harp, folk harp, Irish harp, Scottish harp, Peruvian harp, and more recently, lever harp. Only in the last couple of centuries was the pedal harp developed. That's the large harp you see in the orchestra. The pedal mechanism was, apparently, developed to make a speedier change of the pitch of strings, play in different keys and modes and put in accidentals. In later centuries, as well, the small harp was adapted with "levers" to enable key changes and accidentals.
Am I a Harper or a Harpist? The surname "Harper" was deveoped for someone who played the folk harp centuries ago. The family was the family of the "harper". They were the "harpers". The family was not called the "harpists". Descendants of harp players are known as Harpers. "Harpist" more recently came to mean one who plays the large pedal harp. The original term, then, was "harper". Even so, "harpist" and "harper" are identifying terms used interchangeably, in general. More accurately, I'm a "harper". I play the folk harp, Scottish harp, Irish harp, Celtic harp, lever harp. But, you can call me either one. Both terms mean I play a harp!
