The catalogue was compiled by Annie Jump Cannon and her co-workers at Harvard College Observatory under the supervision of Edward Charles Pickering, and was named in honour of Henry Draper, whose widow donated the money required to finance it.
Zostavila ho Annie Jump Cannon a spolupracovníci na Harvard College Observatory pod vedením Edwarda C. Pickeringa a pomenovaný bol na počesť Henryho Drapera, ktorého vdova venovala peniaze potrebné na jeho financovanie.