Ripley
Boy name · #1263 in 2025 · Uniqueness 36/100
Ripley ranks #1263 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 156 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3591, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,538 boys born in 2025 was named Ripley.
The 107-year story
Ripley first appears in the Social Security records in 1918, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 156 babies and a rank of #1263. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ripley per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ripley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ripley in class?
Ripley scores 36 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Ripley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ripley is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ripleys were OH (14), CA (9), NC (9), MI (7), MN (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Ripley
Statistically, parents drawn to Ripley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Radley, Whitley, Buckley, Adley, and Huntley.
RadleyWhitleyBuckleyAdleyHuntleyRidleyRenleyHuxley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ripley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 156 | #1263 |
| 2024 | 135 | #1387 |
| 2023 | 118 | #1501 |
| 2022 | 108 | #1611 |
| 2021 | 76 | #1964 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2113 |
| 2019 | 41 | #2943 |
| 2018 | 22 | #4476 |
| 2017 | 26 | #3993 |
| 2016 | 26 | #3990 |
| 2015 | 30 | #3591 |
| 2014 | 22 | #4392 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5404 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7050 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8079 |
| 2010 | 8 | #8803 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6436 |
| 2008 | 11 | #7187 |
| 2007 | 10 | #7590 |
| 2006 | 10 | #7427 |
| 2005 | 15 | #5278 |
| 2004 | 14 | #5492 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7831 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9243 |
| 1992 | 5 | #8435 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ripley a popular boy name?
Ripley ranked #1263 among boys in 2025 with 156 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3591.
When was the name Ripley most popular?
Ripley peaked in 2025, when 156 American boys received the name (ranked #1263 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ripley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,538 newborn American boys was named Ripley. It scores 36/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.