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Ripley Family History

Ripley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Ripley (Derbyshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Yorkshire). The Hampshire and Surrey placenames derive from Old English ripel, rippel ‘strip of land’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

The Yorkshire placename probably derives from the Anglian tribe name Hrype + Old English lēah.

The Derbyshire placename may derive from Old English ripel, rippel or the Anglian tribe name Hrype + Old English lēah.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Ripley family from?

You can see how Ripley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ripley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ripley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,009 Ripley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 49% of all the recorded Ripley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Ripley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ripley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ripley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ripley. 14% of Ripley men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Ripley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ripley were Builders Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Ripley | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Retired
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Ripley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 100,000 census records available for the last name Ripley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ripley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ripley

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Ripley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ripley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Ripley. For the veterans among your Ripley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ripley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ripley family history

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What is the average Ripley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Ripley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Ripley in 1944 was 26, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ripley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ripley ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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