Riley
Unisex · RY-lee · English
Unisex
Riley is a name of English origin, meaning “rye clearing”. In 2025 it ranked 82nd for boys in the UK (714 babies) and 48th for girls in the US (4,441 babies).
What does Riley mean?
English: surname from an English place name; also from Irish Reilly
“rye clearing”
From an English place name meaning rye clearing, and also a form of the Irish surname Reilly; 'the life of Riley' means easy living.
- Say it
- RY-lee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Riley a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Riley has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 319 girls and 714 boys in the UK and 4,441 girls and 1,666 boys in the US.
How popular is Riley in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #82among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 714about 1 in 420 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 3.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 714 boys in the UK were named Riley, making it the 82nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 67th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 5,430 boys. 319 girls were also named Riley in 2025 (178th for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Riley than any year since 2004.
Half of all the boys named Riley in the UK since 1996 were born between 2009 and 2016, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 763 boys in the UK were given Riley or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #84.
In 2025, 31% of the babies named Riley in the UK were girls.
Among boys in 2025, it was 83rd in England and Wales, 83rd in Scotland and 77th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#88), 2014 (#35) and 2024 (#80).
Riley in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 714 | #82 |
| 2024 | 766 | #78 |
| 2023 | 730 | #77 |
| 2022 | 815 | #78 |
| 2021 | 914 | #73 |
| 2020 | 961 | #67 |
| 2019 | 1,194 | #59 |
| 2018 | 1,299 | #56 |
| 2017 | 1,598 | #42 |
| 2016 | 1,762 | #39 |
| 2015 | 1,940 | #40 |
| 2014 | 2,485 | #31 |
| 2013 | 3,504 | #19 |
| 2012 | 5,430 | #6 |
| 2011 | 4,674 | #12 |
| 2010 | 2,917 | #27 |
| 2009 | 2,583 | #34 |
| 2008 | 2,362 | #34 |
| 2007 | 1,496 | #60 |
| 2006 | 1,247 | #65 |
| 2005 | 967 | #80 |
| 2004 | 687 | #94 |
| 2003 | 508 | #117 |
| 2002 | 401 | #133 |
| 2001 | 279 | #152 |
| 2000 | 168 | #210 |
| 1999 | 95 | #322 |
| 1998 | 74 | #360 |
| 1997 | 45 | #476 |
| 1996 | 33 | #563 |
How popular is Riley in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #48among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 4,441about 1 in 360 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 19% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 3.8%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 4,441 girls in the US were named Riley, making it the 48th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 33rd. Its busiest year was 2016, with 7,159 girls. It first appears in the records in 1923. 1,666 boys were also named Riley in 2025 (207th for boys).
2025 had fewer girls named Riley than any year since 2003.
Half of all the girls named Riley in the US since 1880 were born between 2006 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 8,469 girls in the US were given Riley or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #13, up from #48 for this spelling alone.
In 1923, 3% of the babies named Riley in the US were girls. By 2025 it was 73%, with more girls than boys since 2003.
Riley in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,441 | #48 |
| 2024 | 4,657 | #42 |
| 2023 | 4,643 | #43 |
| 2022 | 4,914 | #39 |
| 2021 | 5,225 | #37 |
| 2020 | 5,339 | #33 |
| 2019 | 5,712 | #30 |
| 2018 | 6,010 | #28 |
| 2017 | 6,368 | #25 |
| 2016 | 7,159 | #22 |
| 2015 | 5,739 | #35 |
| 2014 | 4,800 | #47 |
| 2013 | 4,941 | #45 |
| 2012 | 4,833 | #47 |
| 2011 | 5,045 | #47 |
| 2010 | 5,543 | #40 |
| 2009 | 5,637 | #38 |
| 2008 | 5,774 | #39 |
| 2007 | 5,212 | #52 |
| 2006 | 5,056 | #56 |
| 2005 | 5,127 | #54 |
| 2004 | 4,982 | #58 |
| 2003 | 4,243 | #72 |
| 2002 | 3,906 | #77 |
| 2001 | 3,044 | #106 |
| 2000 | 2,552 | #131 |
| 1999 | 2,312 | #138 |
| 1998 | 1,877 | #166 |
| 1997 | 1,669 | #184 |
| 1996 | 1,150 | #246 |
| 1995 | 969 | #287 |
| 1994 | 756 | #349 |
| 1993 | 553 | #453 |
| 1992 | 424 | #555 |
| 1991 | 286 | #726 |
| 1990 | 238 | #821 |
| 1989 | 169 | #1,011 |
| 1988 | 124 | #1,209 |
| 1987 | 88 | #1,469 |
| 1986 | 99 | #1,327 |
| 1985 | 64 | #1,759 |
| 1984 | 22 | #3,612 |
| 1983 | 36 | #2,515 |
| 1982 | 35 | #2,645 |
| 1981 | 25 | #3,340 |
| 1980 | 18 | #4,147 |
| 1979 | 16 | #4,419 |
| 1978 | 13 | #4,931 |
| 1977 | 10 | #5,886 |
| 1976 | 7 | #7,294 |
| 1975 | 11 | #5,159 |
| 1974 | 8 | #6,257 |
| 1973 | 7 | #6,664 |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 5 | #7,014 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 6 | #5,816 |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 6 | #5,376 |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 7 | #4,482 |
| 1951 | 5 | #5,413 |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 6 | #4,762 |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 5 | #4,690 |
| 1942 | 5 | #4,620 |
| 1941 | 5 | #4,418 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 6 | #3,798 |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #4,548 |
| 1929 | 6 | #4,051 |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 5 | #4,966 |
Names like Riley
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Logan Mason Finley Harrison Brody Austin Harley Isaac Blake Noah Caleb Hunter
Other spellings of Riley
Ryley Rylee Reilly Rylie Ryleigh Rhylee Rylei Rhyleigh Rileigh Rilee Rhiley
Names related to Riley
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