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Home › Baby Names Directory › Ripken

Ripken

♂ Boy

Pronounced RIP-ken /ˈrɪp.kən/High

Meaning: From the surname Ripken, made famous by baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr.; of Low German/Frisian surname originMedium

In 30 seconds: A home run of a name: Ripken honors baseball's 'Iron Man', Cal Ripken Jr., who never missed a game for sixteen years. A surname-name built on grit, durability, and pure devotion to the craft.
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Origin MediumEnglish, American
MeaningFrom the surname Ripken, made famous by baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr.; of Low German/Frisian surname origin
U.S. rank (2025)#3569 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births32 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2022
Total births (all-time)≈ 435

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202219972025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ripken comes from the surname of baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr., whose record consecutive-games streak made it legendary. The surname itself is of Low German/Frisian origin. It belongs to the American tradition of honoring sports heroes with surname-first-names.

It registers thinly as a recent coinage. Very rare, durability-themed, and all-American.

Did you know? Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 consecutive games — over sixteen straight years without sitting out — earning the nickname 'the Iron Man' and making his surname a byword for showing up.
Overall data confidence 70%
U.S. Social Security Administration name files — recent emergence

Variations

Ripkin

Nicknames

RipKen

Famous Bearers

  • ★Cal Ripken Jr. (1960-)
    Hall of Fame MLB shortstop who set the record for consecutive games played at 2,632

If you like Ripken…

Ryker— a fellow strong surname-name
Beckett— the companion crisp surname-name
Jeter— another baseball-hero surname-name
Maddox— a sister bold modern name

Explore names like Ripken

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ripken mean?

Ripken is a surname made famous by baseball's Cal Ripken Jr.; it's of Low German/Frisian origin.

How do you pronounce Ripken?

It's said RIP-ken /ˈrɪp.kən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ripken a boy or girl name?

Ripken is a boy's name.

How popular is Ripken?

Ripken is a very rare, modern name in the U.S.

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