Ripken
Obscure name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from an English surname.
Name Census estimates that about 400 living Americans carry the first name Ripken. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ripken today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ripken births was 2022 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ripken. 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.
People living today
400
~ 1 in 856,886 Americans
Peak year
2022
47 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,495
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Ripken: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ripken from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 203 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
Ripken 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 Ripken during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ripkens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Ripken, while Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ripken
The given name Ripken is a relatively modern name that emerged in the 20th century. It does not have a clear linguistic origin or historical roots in any particular language or culture. However, it is believed to be a variation or derivative of the German surname Ripken or Ripken, which itself is a locative surname referring to someone who lived near a ridge or hill.
While the name Ripken itself does not appear in any ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records, its potential root, the German surname Ripken, can be traced back to the Middle Ages in various parts of Germany. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ripken date back to the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
The earliest known notable individual with the given name Ripken is probably Cal Ripken Jr., the famous American baseball player. Born in 1960, Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001 and is best known for breaking Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a streak that spanned 2,632 games over 16 seasons.
Another individual with the given name Ripken is Courtney Ripken, the daughter of Cal Ripken Jr. Born in 1987, Courtney Ripken is a former college soccer player and has been involved in various philanthropic initiatives and charitable organizations.
In the field of music, there is a Canadian singer-songwriter named Ripken, whose real name is Jesse Lawson. Born in 1985, he has released several albums and EPs under the moniker Ripken.
In the world of academia, there is a professor named Ripken Weller Henley, who teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an expert in the field of environmental engineering and has published numerous research papers and articles.
While not as famous as some of the other individuals mentioned, there is also a Ripken Whalen, who works as a financial advisor in the state of California.
It is important to note that while these individuals share the given name Ripken, the name itself does not have a rich historical background or deep cultural significance. It is a relatively modern name that gained popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, likely inspired by the German surname Ripken.
People
Ripken + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ripken as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ripken: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ripken?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 400 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ripken 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 856,886 US residents.
Is Ripken a common name?
We classify Ripken as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 403 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ripken most popular?
The single biggest year for Ripken was 2022, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ripken is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ripken in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ripken a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ripken 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.
Is Ripken still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ripken in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ripken can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Ripken as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Ripken on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.