Riley
Two sources: the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh and an English place name, “rye clearing.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Riley appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 2002 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2016, when 7,159 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 22 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 48 for girls. The name has also seen real use for boys: 105,025 of the 246,985 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Rylee (74,557), Ryleigh (35,576), Rylie (24,485), Ryley (7,197), Rileigh (3,882), Rilee (3,742) (total births since 1880)
Explore Riley interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 11 | No. 4053 |
| 1930s | 11 | No. 3800 |
| 1940s | 21 | No. 4420 |
| 1950s | 18 | No. 4483 |
| 1960s | 11 | No. 5817 |
| 1970s | 72 | No. 4420 |
| 1980s | 680 | No. 1014 |
| 1990s | 10,234 | No. 138 |
| 2000s | 45,533 | No. 38 |
| 2010s | 56,150 | No. 22 |
| 2020s | 29,219 | No. 33 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.