NameCensus.

UK surname

Rippon

A locational surname originating from a place so named in England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,045 people recorded with the Rippon surname, ranking it #3,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,132, ranked #5,203, down from #3,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Eckington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, North Devon and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rippon is 1,348 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.3%.

1881 census count

1,045

Ranked #3,765

Modern count

1,132

2016, ranked #5,203

Peak year

1911

1,348 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rippon had 1,045 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,132 in 2016, ranked #5,203.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,348 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rippon surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rippon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rippon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rippon over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 726 #3,613
1861 historical 779 #3,531
1881 historical 1,045 #3,765
1891 historical 1,070 #3,927
1901 historical 1,269 #3,909
1911 historical 1,348 #3,556
1997 modern 1,175 #4,805
1998 modern 1,222 #4,811
1999 modern 1,233 #4,806
2000 modern 1,221 #4,826
2001 modern 1,188 #4,832
2002 modern 1,225 #4,816
2003 modern 1,158 #4,956
2004 modern 1,130 #5,072
2005 modern 1,073 #5,247
2006 modern 1,067 #5,259
2007 modern 1,079 #5,265
2008 modern 1,098 #5,226
2009 modern 1,111 #5,284
2010 modern 1,150 #5,242
2011 modern 1,146 #5,197
2012 modern 1,101 #5,286
2013 modern 1,144 #5,199
2014 modern 1,145 #5,220
2015 modern 1,145 #5,177
2016 modern 1,132 #5,203

Geography

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Where Rippons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Eckington, Peterborough St John the Baptist and Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, North Devon, Wrexham and County Durham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Eckington Derbyshire
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 North Devon 012 North Devon
3 Fenland 008 Fenland
4 Wrexham 010 Wrexham
5 County Durham 031 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rippon

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rippon surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rippon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rippon, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rippon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rippon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rippon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rippon is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rippon falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rippon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rippon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rippon

The surname Rippon is believed to have originated in England and is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hris" meaning "brushwood" and "dun" meaning "hill." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hill covered in brushwood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ripedon." This reference suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled as "Rippeden" or "Rippedene." Over time, the spelling evolved to the more familiar form of "Rippon." Variants of the name include Ripon, Rippingdale, and Rippinghall, which may indicate an association with specific places.

One notable individual with the surname Rippon was Sir Thomas Rippon (1638-1700), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wakefield from 1689 to 1700. Another early bearer of the name was John Rippon (1751-1836), an English Baptist minister and author known for his work titled "A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors."

In the 19th century, William Rippon (1819-1893) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Leeds Corn Exchange and the Scarborough Cricket Ground pavilion. His contemporary, Thomas Rippon (1825-1907), was a well-known English painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

More recently, the name has been associated with individuals such as Alfred Rippon (1888-1969), a British actor and film director active during the early 20th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Roger Rippon (1920-2011), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England national team in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rippon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rippon surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 215 Rippons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 215 2.13x
Durham 170 5.62x
Derbyshire 88 5.53x
Lincolnshire 67 4.12x
Northumberland 60 3.97x
Middlesex 56 0.55x
Northamptonshire 53 5.54x
Lancashire 40 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 37 5.75x
Nottinghamshire 35 2.55x
Surrey 31 0.63x
Cheshire 26 1.16x
Essex 26 1.30x
Hampshire 17 0.82x
Devon 16 0.76x
Berkshire 12 1.57x
Cornwall 11 0.96x
Leicestershire 11 0.98x
Renfrewshire 11 1.40x
Gloucestershire 9 0.45x
Staffordshire 7 0.20x
Kent 6 0.17x
Lanarkshire 6 0.18x
Warwickshire 6 0.23x
Anglesey 4 2.22x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.46x
Ayrshire 3 0.39x
Norfolk 3 0.19x
Somerset 2 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.24x
Dorset 1 0.15x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.50x
Oxfordshire 1 0.16x
Rutland 1 1.34x
Shropshire 1 0.11x
Westmorland 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 47 Rippons recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.76x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 47 20.76x
Eckington 41 106.05x
Peterborough 32 46.23x
Whittlesey St Mary St 30 133.39x
Sheffield 27 8.42x
Brandon Byshottles 19 50.16x
Byker 19 25.41x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 21.03x
Nottingham St Mary 19 5.36x
Southcoates 19 33.98x
Chesterfield 17 28.49x
Beighton 16 221.91x
Westoe 16 9.33x
St Pancras London 14 1.71x
Sculcoates 13 8.14x
Stanhope 13 41.64x
Beverley St Martin 12 71.39x
Brightside Bierlow 12 6.07x
Hackney London 12 2.11x
Lambeth 12 1.35x
Portsea 11 2.69x
West Greenock 11 7.78x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 4.88x
Hasland 10 61.73x
Huddersfield 10 6.81x
South Weald 10 58.21x
Spilsby 10 193.80x
Beverley St Mary 9 61.18x
Drypool 9 58.37x
Perranzabuloe 9 90.63x
Pocklington 9 94.64x
Stockport 9 7.79x
Boldon 8 74.21x
Heckington 8 129.45x
Heeley 8 26.14x
Monk Hesleden 8 94.90x
Stanghow 8 196.56x
Thames Ditton 8 77.75x
Wakefield 8 10.35x
Cheadle 7 16.33x
Cheveley 7 318.18x
Ecclesfield 7 9.48x
Gorton 7 6.17x
Great Grimsby 7 6.79x
Harlaxton 7 526.32x
Kinoulton 7 608.70x
Nether Hallam 7 5.14x
Skelton In Guisbrough 7 25.69x
Basford 6 9.50x
Birmingham 6 0.70x
Bothwell 6 6.73x
Burradon In Tynemouth 6 155.44x
Chelmsford 6 17.43x
Dewsbury 6 5.81x
Haswell 6 27.69x
Leicester St Margaret 6 2.18x
Ruswarp 6 53.57x
Salford 6 1.69x
St George Hanover 6 4.52x
Stockton On Tees 6 4.12x
Stretford 6 9.04x
Tiverton 6 16.46x
Tudhoe 6 22.68x
Beverley St Nicholas 5 60.53x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 5.22x
Bozeat 5 120.48x
Bramhall 5 53.82x
Burslem 5 5.09x
Grantham 5 23.61x
Hunslet 5 3.18x
Lanchester 5 90.09x
Paddington London 5 1.34x
Pittington 5 58.82x
Reading St Giles 5 6.68x
Ince Blundell 4 217.39x
Manthorpe Cum Little 4 32.21x
Moreton 4 253.16x
Roxholme 4 952.38x
Shotley Low Quarter 4 207.25x
Stamford St George 4 54.79x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rippon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rippon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 68
William 61
Thomas 50
George 37
James 20
Robert 19
Charles 14
Joseph 13
Arthur 10
Alfred 9
Edward 9
Herbert 7
Walter 7
Henry 6
Richard 6
Ernest 5
Fred 5
Frederick 5
Matthew 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Samuel 4
Wm. 4
David 3
Ebenezer 3
Geo. 3
Ralph 3
Cuthbert 2
Forrest 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Harvey 2
Jabez 2
Leanord 2
Nicholas 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Andrew 1
Bisphin 1
Byron 1
Christopher 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.J. 1
Ellis 1
Horatis 1
Infant 1

FAQ

Rippon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rippon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,045 people were recorded with the Rippon surname. That placed it at #3,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rippon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,132 in 2016. That gives Rippon a modern rank of #5,203.

What does the Rippon surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place so named in England.

What does the Rippon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rippon bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.