Riot
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- RY-ut
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #1,263 for boys
Riot is a name of English origin, meaning “uproar; wild disturbance”. In 2025 it ranked 1,263rd for boys in the US (156 babies).
What does Riot mean?
English: English word, from Old French riote
“uproar; wild disturbance”
The Old French source riote meant 'quarrel' or 'debate'; 'a riot of colour' means a vivid abundance.
Is Riot a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Riot has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys. In 2025, it was given to 21 girls and 156 boys in the US.
How popular is Riot in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,263among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 156about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 80% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 156 boys in the US were named Riot, making it the 1,263rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,849th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 159 boys. It first appears in the records in 2007. 21 girls were also named Riot in 2025 (5,721st for girls).
Half of all the boys named Riot in the US since 1880 were born between 2016 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 731 boys in the US were given Riot or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #439, up from #1,263 for this spelling alone.
In 2025, 12% of the babies named Riot in the US were girls.
Riot in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 156 | #1,263 |
| 2024 | 159 | #1,243 |
| 2023 | 108 | #1,608 |
| 2022 | 109 | #1,607 |
| 2021 | 85 | #1,823 |
| 2020 | 80 | #1,849 |
| 2019 | 78 | #1,899 |
| 2018 | 77 | #1,919 |
| 2017 | 49 | #2,565 |
| 2016 | 73 | #1,975 |
| 2015 | 61 | #2,212 |
| 2014 | 61 | #2,203 |
| 2013 | 43 | #2,713 |
| 2012 | 55 | #2,325 |
| 2011 | 36 | #3,113 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4,516 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4,427 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,388 |
| 2007 | 9 | #8,169 |
Names like Riot
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rhodes Sevyn Chozen Reign Ledger Beckett Tru Caspian Raiden Legend Kyaire Brixton
Other spellings of Riot
Names related to Riot
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Riot: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/riot, updated 20 October 2026.