Save Type Surname (from location) Usage English Pronounced Pron. RIP-lee [key·IPA] Meaning & History From the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "woodland, clearing". A notable fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley from the movie Alien (1979) and its sequels. Related NamesDetails Given Name DescendantRipley(English) Categories child actors, isograms