2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rippa
A surname possibly derived from the Italian word "rippa", meaning cliff or ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Rippa. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rippa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Rippa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rippa, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rippa
The surname Rippa originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rippa," which means "cliff" or "steep slope." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or on a cliff or steep hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rippa can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. In these records, the name appears as "de Rippa," indicating its use as a locational surname.
During the 13th century, the name Rippa was also mentioned in the "Liber Censuum," a papal register of ecclesiastical properties and revenues. This document includes references to individuals from the town of Rippa, located in the province of Perugia, Umbria.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Rippa was Bartolomeo di Rippa, a renowned painter and architect from Perugia. He was active between 1330 and 1360 and is known for his contributions to the decoration of several churches in Perugia and the surrounding areas.
Another historical figure with the surname Rippa was Giovanni di Rippa, a lawyer and scholar from Tuscany who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the local legal community and authored several influential works on Italian law and jurisprudence.
In the 16th century, the name Rippa appeared in the "Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Veneziana," a register of noble families in Venice. This suggests that the Rippa family had achieved a certain level of social status and prominence during this period.
A notable figure from this time was Antonio Rippa, a military commander who served under the Republic of Venice in the late 16th century. He was involved in various military campaigns and battles against the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean region.
In the 17th century, the surname Rippa was associated with the town of Ripa, a small village in the province of Ancona, in the Marche region of Italy. Records from this period mention several families with the surname Rippa residing in this area.
Throughout history, the surname Rippa has been present across various regions of Italy, with notable individuals contributing to various fields such as art, law, and military service. While the name's origin can be traced back to medieval times, it has endured and maintained its presence in Italian culture and society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rippa
Among Census respondents with the surname Rippa, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rippa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rippa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rippa
Rippa appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-6 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,059 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 13,059 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 13,072 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rippa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #148,665 | -9.6% |
| Count | 124 | 111 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rippa bearers went from 124 to 111 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 13,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #148,665.
FAQ
Rippa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rippa?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Rippa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Rippa?
Rippa ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Rippa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rippa.
Has Rippa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rippa went from 124 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Rippa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rippa, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rippa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rippa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rippa (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rippa mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Italian word "rippa", meaning cliff or ravine. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rippa (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Rippa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.