Harper began as an English occupational surname for someone who played the harp, and it carries that craftsman's association into its use as a first name -- skill built through practice, not luck. The name is often linked with resourcefulness and a hands-on kind of creativity rather than passive artistry.
Be wary and circumspect in your judgment, when a fortune is with a malevolent; nor be you overconfident that the malice of the infortune shall be averted. - William Lilly (1602.-1681.)