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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Originally an English place name meaning roughly 'the woodland clearing of the Hrype [Anglian tribal] people'; later a surname, then a given name
- Origin
- Old English (place name/surname)
- Gender
- Used for both boys and girls
- Pronunciation
- RIP-lee
Ripley began as an English place name meaning roughly 'the woodland clearing of the Hrype people,' from Old English, and later became a surname before being used as a given name. You may see it claimed that Ripley means 'strip field,' but that isn't accurate: the name combines the tribal name Hrype with 'lēah,' a woodland clearing. It's pronounced RIP-lee.
Meaning & Origin of Ripley
Meaning: Originally an English place name meaning roughly 'the woodland clearing of the Hrype [Anglian tribal] people'; later a surname, then a given name.
Origin: Old English (place name/surname).
A common claim: Ripley means 'strip field' Actually: Wiktionary traces Ripley to an Old English place name combining the tribal name '*Hrype' with 'lēah' (woodland clearing) — so it means 'the Hrype people's clearing', not 'strip field'.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Ripley
RIP-leeIPA /ˈrɪpli/
Popularity of Ripley
Ripley ranked #1250 in the U.S. in 2024, with 186 babies given the name. Its peak came two years earlier, in 2022, when it reached #1171 with 207 babies.
Names Like Ripley
These names have followed a similar path to Ripley in U.S. popularity over the years.
FAQ
What does the name Ripley mean?
Originally an English place name meaning roughly ‘the woodland clearing of the Hrype [Anglian tribal] people’; later a surname, then a given name. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Ripley?
Ripley is pronounced RIP-lee (IPA: /ˈrɪpli/).
Is Ripley a popular name right now?
Ripley is near its all-time peak (#1171 in 2022), ranked #1250 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1918–2024.)
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