gipper · noun1
From gip (“clean [fish] for curing”) + -er (agent noun suffix).
Gipper · proper noun2
From Reagan's role as George "the Gipper" Gipp (1895–1920) in the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All American, which lead to him acquiring the nickname "the Gipper" (from Gipp + -er), later popularized by the media during his presidency.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.