The Ripley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,314 people carried this name — #3,799 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 31,600 people counted. That is up 5% from 8,892 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Ripley surname

From the Old English folk name for the Anglian tribe, *Hrype + Old English lēah (“woodland clearing”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ripley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Ripley’.

An early record he cites: Matilda de Riplay, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 647 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

80 families named Ripley, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 486 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 40
Connecticut 10
Vermont 6
Virginia 5
New Hampshire 4
New York 4
Maine 3
Pennsylvania 3
South Carolina 3
North Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Ripley in American newspapers,
1888.

Newspaper page from Audubon County Republican carrying the name Ripley
Audubon County Republican 1888-03-01
Newspaper page from The Oskaloosa Herald carrying the name Ripley
The Oskaloosa Herald 1888-03-08
Newspaper page from Audubon County Republican carrying the name Ripley
Audubon County Republican 1888-03-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,451 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ripley in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2010s.

3,047 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ripley. The most, 845, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,563
Victoria 515
Queensland 421
South Australia 266
Western Australia 165
Tasmania 56
ACT (Canberra) 27
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ripley.

Who carried it

People named Ripley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Anthony Ripley d. 2003 · editing staff
  • Ella Cecil Ripley d. 1933
  • Doreen Walters d. 1960
  • Georgina Mary Shute Adams d. 1953
  • Sybil Augusta Bardwell d. 1954
  • Ethel Margaret Susan Ripley d. 1960

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ripley,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States948 records

948 records of the Ripley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 330
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 186
  • Other U.S. records 432
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Jack A. Ripley

    Born 1913 in Washington. Enlisted 1945 at San Francisco, California; musician. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1964, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Nellie Ripley

    Arrived at New York in 1890 aboard the Eider from Bremen and Southampton, aged 22; tourist. From Bremen; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Larry Dean Ripley

    Born 1946; from London, Ohio. U.S. Marine Corps, assaultman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 948 records for Ripley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Canada913 records

913 records of the Ripley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 863
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 19
  • Other Canadian records 31
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Ira Ripley

    Killed in 1906 at the Joggins Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Ripley

    Buried in 1973 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Everett Adolphus Ripley

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 913 records for Ripley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia111 records

111 records of the Ripley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 67
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 29
  • Other Australian records 15
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Benjamin Ripley

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Waterloo, arriving 1829; ticket of leave 1839. Native of Cambridge.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Ripley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Duchess of Northumberland, sailing from Sheerness in 1842. Native of Barnsley, Yorkshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Ripley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Jane, aged 38; American.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 111 records for Ripley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Ripley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Ripley

    Buried in 1835 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 29.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Ripley

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Ripley

    Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Ripley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Ripley name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 9
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Ripley

    Buried in 1895 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 82.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Ripley

    Buried in 1886 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 52.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Elizabeth Ripley

    Buried in 1910 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 69.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Ripley in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Ripley name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Putnam Ripley

    Married in 1932 in Leeuwarden; accountant.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Josias Ripley

    Married in 1724 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Alice Ripley

    In the population register of Helmond; born 1881 in Hull (Eng.).

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Ripley in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ripley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Ripley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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