Kipley
English feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a combination of various elements.
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Kipley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kipley today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kipley births was 1964 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kipley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kipley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
1964
7 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1969 SSA rank
#4,731
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Kipley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kipley from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 17 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kipley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kipley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kipley
The name Kipley is believed to have originated from the Old English language, which was spoken in parts of Britain from the 5th to the 11th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cypp" meaning "basket" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing". Together, these words suggest the name could refer to a person who lived or worked in a meadow or clearing where baskets were made or used.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kipley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in the form "Kipelei", referring to a location or settlement in the county of Derbyshire.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kipley was predominantly used in the regions of northern England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. However, there are few historical records of individuals bearing this name from this period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Kipley Calvert (1570-1634) was a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was involved in the early trade and colonization efforts in North America and is mentioned in several historical records from that time.
Another individual named Kipley Ainsworth (1685-1752) was a British playwright and poet who lived during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is best known for his satirical plays and works that critiqued the social and political climate of the time.
In the 19th century, Kipley Dawson (1820-1891) was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and railway systems. He held several patents for his innovations and his work was widely recognized during the Industrial Revolution.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Kipley Whitmore (1865-1942) was a prominent American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and educational programs aimed at providing equal opportunities for women and played an influential role in the suffrage movement.
While the name Kipley has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artists, inventors, and activists, spanning several centuries and regions.
People
Kipley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kipley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kipley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kipley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kipley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Kipley a common name?
We classify Kipley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kipley most popular?
The single biggest year for Kipley was 1964, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kipley is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kipley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kipley in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.