Fun Facts About the Name Kipper
- 102 babies named Kipper: U.S. records list 102 babies given the name Kipper from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kipper Mean?
Kipper is an uncommon given name used in English-speaking countries. It is generally a transferred use of the surname Kipper, not a name with a single settled meaning as a first name. The surname is often explained as an occupational name for a person who cured or sold kippers: fish, especially herring, that have been split, salted, and smoked. The word kipper is usually traced to Old English cypera, a spawning salmon. The modern smoked-fish sense came later. Because the given name is rare and its use as a first name is not tied to a single established tradition, its meaning is best described as uncertain; the most likely link is to the fish-curing trade or to the fish itself.
Kipper Name History & Origins
The word behind the name is old in English. Old English cypera named a spawning salmon, and in later English kipper came to mean a cured or smoked fish, especially a herring. The surname Kipper appears in English use and is commonly interpreted as an occupational surname for someone who prepared or sold such fish. As with many occupational surnames, that explanation is probable rather than certain. Kipper is also found as a German surname, which is a separate line of origin; it is not necessarily related to the English fish word. The given name Kipper is rare. When it appears as a first name, it is most plausibly a transferred surname. The name is also familiar from the children's character Kipper the Dog, created by Mick Inkpen; that is a modern fictional use, not the source of the surname or the fish word.
How Popular is the Name Kipper?
Kipper has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1976. Its best rank was #3,166 in 1964.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,236 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,501 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #11,528 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,331 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #3,618 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #5,146 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #4,306 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #5,311 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #4,732 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #3,784 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,166 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #3,840 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,177 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #4,382 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #3,441 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #4,146 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kipper Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Kipper's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kipper's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.