unisex name
Riley
RY-lee
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 318,869
the United States
#48
2025 births
Riley is a name with two origins that converged. The Irish line comes from Ó Raghallaigh, an Anglicized surname, while the English line names a place meaning "rye clearing," from the Old English ryge and leah.
- Riley is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 9,906 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 543 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Riley over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 458 |
| 1890s | 386 |
| 1900s | 383 |
| 1910s | 1,210 |
| 1920s | 1,679 |
| 1930s | 1,481 |
| 1940s | 1,684 |
| 1950s | 1,442 |
| 1960s | 949 |
| 1970s | 1,162 |
| 1980s | 4,116 |
| 1990s | 29,075 |
| 2000s | 85,155 |
| 2010s | 79,295 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 38,510 |
What Riley means
Riley's meaning depends on the line. The English reading gives "rye clearing," a woodland clearing where rye was grown. The Irish reading is a family name, Ó Raghallaigh, whose own root is uncertain and not straightforwardly translatable.
Where Riley comes from
Riley reaches modern use from two separate directions. In England, Ryley and Riley are locative surnames from places named for a clearing where rye grew, combining the Old English ryge, rye, with leah, a clearing or meadow. In Ireland, Riley and Reilly are Anglicizations of Ó Raghallaigh, the name of a prominent County Cavan family, whose Gaelic root is debated. Both surnames arrived in America in numbers, and the two histories are now effectively indistinguishable in a modern bearer. The phrase "the life of Riley," meaning an easy and comfortable existence, is recorded from the early twentieth century and its exact origin is unclear. Riley is given to both girls and boys.
Riley in use
Two unrelated surnames — one English and locative, one Irish and familial — produced the same modern first name.
How popular is Riley?
In 2025, Riley was given to 6,107 babies in the United States, ranking #48 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Riley is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Riley is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Rïley | Rïley is a rare spelling of Riley, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Riley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Riley also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Riley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Riley in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Riley
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Riley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Riley
What does the name Riley mean?
The English line means "rye clearing"; the Irish line is from the surname Ó Raghallaigh, whose root is uncertain.
Is Riley a boy's or a girl's name?
Riley is used for both, and appears in the birth records for each in substantial numbers.
Is Riley Irish or English?
Both. Two separate surnames, one Irish and one English, converged on the same modern spelling.
How popular is the name Riley?
In 2025, Riley was given to 6,107 babies in the United States, ranking #48 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Riley?
Riley has 2 syllables.
When was Riley most popular?
Riley peaked in 2008, when 9,906 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Riley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Riley currently ranks #48 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.