Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Ripken

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,569 Trend ↑ Rising 30%
Rank 2025
#3,569
among boys · ↓62 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Ripken · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 53,377
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
47 babies
All-time total
435
#8,577 all-time among boys
First recorded
1997
in Social Security records

Ripken popularity over time

435 babies have been named Ripken since 1997, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2022Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s 11 1 – #9,644
2000s 21 2 +91% #9,676
2010s 168 17 +700% #3,878
2020s (to 2025) 235 39 +133% #2,788

Where Ripken is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 34 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 36 0.02 outside top 500
2030 37 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ripken

Ripken is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,569 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1997, 435 American babies have been named Ripken. Its peak came in 2022, when 47 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ripken stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ripken?

The median living Ripken is about 5 years old; half are between 2 and 10. An estimated 400 people named Ripken are alive in the United States today.

median 5 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ripken year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 32 #3,569
2024 33 #3,507
2023 46 #2,794
2022 47 #2,788
2021 45 #2,808
2020 32 #3,476
2019 28 #3,878
2018 27 #3,975
2017 18 #5,261
2016 15 #5,989
2015 15 #5,936
2014 19 #5,023
2013 17 #5,350
2012 10 #8,016
2011 9 #8,626
2010 10 #8,014
2009 – –
2008 8 #9,676
2007 7 #10,651
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 6 #11,055
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ripken, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ripken?

The median living Ripken is about 5 years old. Half of all living Ripkens are between 2 and 10 years old.

How many people named Ripken are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Ripken are alive in the United States, based on 435 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Ripken in 2025?

Ripken ranked #3,569 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ripken?

435 babies have been named Ripken in the United States since 1997, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ripken most popular?

Ripken peaked in 2022, when 47 newborns received the name.

Is Ripken a boy or girl name?

Ripken is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ripken rising or falling?

Ripken is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ripken become more popular?

Ripken is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 37 boys named Ripken in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Ripken

Names that sound and feel close to Ripken: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ripken with similar names → More names starting with R →