Unisex nameCurrently #42 in the USFalling
Riley
RY-lee//ˈraɪli//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20085 lettersStarts with R
Meaning & origin
Courageous, valiant
Riley comes from the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh, generally understood to mean 'courageous' or 'valiant'. Once used mainly for boys, it has become one of the most popular unisex names in the US and UK since the 1990s, now given slightly more often to girls.
Riley's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Riley |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 41 |
| 1881 | 47 |
| 1882 | 54 |
| 1883 | 45 |
| 1884 | 47 |
| 1885 | 58 |
| 1886 | 39 |
| 1887 | 46 |
| 1888 | 37 |
| 1889 | 44 |
| 1890 | 39 |
| 1891 | 28 |
| 1892 | 39 |
| 1893 | 36 |
| 1894 | 38 |
| 1895 | 49 |
| 1896 | 39 |
| 1897 | 44 |
| 1898 | 39 |
| 1899 | 35 |
| 1900 | 53 |
| 1901 | 30 |
| 1902 | 37 |
| 1903 | 29 |
| 1904 | 32 |
| 1905 | 34 |
| 1906 | 37 |
| 1907 | 40 |
| 1908 | 42 |
| 1909 | 49 |
| 1910 | 63 |
| 1911 | 47 |
| 1912 | 87 |
| 1913 | 97 |
| 1914 | 101 |
| 1915 | 142 |
| 1916 | 166 |
| 1917 | 139 |
| 1918 | 174 |
| 1919 | 194 |
| 1920 | 166 |
| 1921 | 160 |
| 1922 | 163 |
| 1923 | 179 |
| 1924 | 168 |
| 1925 | 165 |
| 1926 | 179 |
| 1927 | 162 |
| 1928 | 168 |
| 1929 | 169 |
| 1930 | 167 |
| 1931 | 137 |
| 1932 | 131 |
| 1933 | 153 |
| 1934 | 156 |
| 1935 | 156 |
| 1936 | 156 |
| 1937 | 145 |
| 1938 | 141 |
| 1939 | 139 |
| 1940 | 150 |
| 1941 | 179 |
| 1942 | 162 |
| 1943 | 176 |
| 1944 | 171 |
| 1945 | 139 |
| 1946 | 166 |
| 1947 | 192 |
| 1948 | 179 |
| 1949 | 170 |
| 1950 | 152 |
| 1951 | 151 |
| 1952 | 170 |
| 1953 | 164 |
| 1954 | 166 |
| 1955 | 130 |
| 1956 | 134 |
| 1957 | 147 |
| 1958 | 115 |
| 1959 | 113 |
| 1960 | 107 |
| 1961 | 102 |
| 1962 | 112 |
| 1963 | 99 |
| 1964 | 106 |
| 1965 | 79 |
| 1966 | 93 |
| 1967 | 73 |
| 1968 | 99 |
| 1969 | 79 |
| 1970 | 78 |
| 1971 | 96 |
| 1972 | 85 |
| 1973 | 97 |
| 1974 | 93 |
| 1975 | 118 |
| 1976 | 113 |
| 1977 | 126 |
| 1978 | 180 |
| 1979 | 178 |
| 1980 | 184 |
| 1981 | 206 |
| 1982 | 234 |
| 1983 | 262 |
| 1984 | 274 |
| 1985 | 398 |
| 1986 | 502 |
| 1987 | 564 |
| 1988 | 653 |
| 1989 | 844 |
| 1990 | 1,052 |
| 1991 | 1,151 |
| 1992 | 1,491 |
| 1993 | 1,931 |
| 1994 | 2,344 |
| 1995 | 2,888 |
| 1996 | 3,543 |
| 1997 | 4,502 |
| 1998 | 4,890 |
| 1999 | 5,282 |
| 2000 | 5,973 |
| 2001 | 6,697 |
| 2002 | 7,865 |
| 2003 | 8,320 |
| 2004 | 9,092 |
| 2005 | 9,237 |
| 2006 | 9,452 |
| 2007 | 9,185 |
| 2008 | 9,904 |
| 2009 | 9,427 |
| 2010 | 9,192 |
| 2011 | 8,505 |
| 2012 | 7,723 |
| 2013 | 7,500 |
| 2014 | 7,244 |
| 2015 | 7,831 |
| 2016 | 8,887 |
| 2017 | 7,837 |
| 2018 | 7,479 |
| 2019 | 7,083 |
| 2020 | 6,706 |
| 2021 | 6,667 |
| 2022 | 6,505 |
| 2023 | 6,268 |
| 2024 | 6,211 |
Riley through the decades
- Riley peaked in 2008, when 9,904 babies were named Riley in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Riley has fallen 18% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Riley currently ranks #42 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Ry
Variants & spellings
RyleeRyleigh