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Ripley

♀ Girl

Pronounced RIP-lee /ˈrɪp.li/High

Meaning: Strip of land; Hrype's clearing; from Old English place name Ripley, meaning a strip meadow or the clearing of someone named HrypeMedium

In 30 seconds: An Old English place-name surname, most famous as the name of Ellen Ripley — the iconic heroine of the Alien film franchise (1979), widely cited as one of cinema's greatest female protagonists.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningStrip of land; Hrype's clearing; from Old English place name Ripley, meaning a strip meadow or the clearing of someone named Hrype

U.S. rank (2025)#1032 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births243 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2025

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,552

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Ripley is an Old English place-name surname from a village whose name means 'strip meadow' (strip + leah) or 'clearing of the Hrype.' As a given name it is a modern surname-to-first-name transfer, driven largely by the Alien franchise.

Ripley ranked #1250 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) in the Alien franchise is consistently ranked among the greatest film characters of all time — the first major female action hero in science fiction cinema, brave, resourceful, and complex. Ripley is now a name synonymous with fierce femininity.

Overall data confidence 82%

Behind the Name — Ripley — Old English etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

RipleeRipleigh

Nicknames

Rip

Famous Bearers

★Ellen Ripley (fictional) (fictional)
Protagonist of the Alien film franchise, played by Sigourney Weaver (Ripley is the character's surname)

If you like Ripley…

Hadley— two-syllable -ley Old English surname name in the same category

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Brinley— two-syllable -ley-ending surname name for girls

Wiley— two-syllable -ley surname name with the same outdoorsy edge

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By themeenglish two-syllable place-name surname-style

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ripley mean?

Ripley means 'strip of land' or 'Hrype's clearing,' from an Old English place name. It is best known as the name of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.

How do you pronounce Ripley?

It's said RIP-lee — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ripley a boy or girl name?

Ripley is used for both sexes but is rising for girls.

How popular is Ripley?

Ripley ranked #1250 for U.S. girls in 2024.