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Riley

Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.

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Meaning

Rye clearing or meadow, in the English place-name route.

The exact entry separates the Old English rye-and-clearing account of Ryley in Lancashire from an Irish Reilly surname route. The English gloss is not assigned to the Irish route, and valiant is not independently established by this source.

Origin

English place-name and Irish surname routes, transferred to a given name.

The source explicitly documents both an English habitational surname and an Irish variant of Reilly, from Ó Raghallaigh. Given-name use is recorded separately. This does not select ancestry or parental intention for a modern bearer.

English pronunciation

/ˈɹaɪ.li/

Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused.

Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.

Published name usage

Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.

Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
PlaceYearRecorded usagePublished birthsRankNotes
Canada2025Girls261 · preliminary972025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada2025Boys196 · preliminary1732025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France2025Girls40 (rounded to 5)911Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
France2025Boys50 (rounded to 5)792Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2025Girls270186Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2025Boys61983Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland2025Girls12154Two rank discrepancies and alternate-view differences retained. Automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland2025Boys3177Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2025Girls37122Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2025Boys6483Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland2025Girls16266Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland2025Boys25188Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States2025Girls4,44148Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States2025Boys1,666207Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.

Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.

Sources & notes

Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.

Language of use: English

Checked against cited source

The exact English entry explicitly documents given-name use. This is distinct from linguistic origin, nationality and ancestry. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

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This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning: Rye clearing or meadow, in the English place-name route.

Checked against cited source

The exact entry separates the Old English rye-and-clearing account of Ryley in Lancashire from an Irish Reilly surname route. The English gloss is not assigned to the Irish route, and valiant is not independently established by this source. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Origin: English place-name and Irish surname routes, transferred to a given name.

Checked against cited source

The source explicitly documents both an English habitational surname and an Irish variant of Reilly, from Ó Raghallaigh. Given-name use is recorded separately. This does not select ancestry or parental intention for a modern bearer. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

English pronunciation: /ˈɹaɪ.li/

Checked against cited source

Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Wiktionary: Riley’s separate English and Irish histories

Checked against cited source

The rye-clearing explanation belongs to the documented English place-name route. The Reilly/Ó Raghallaigh connection is retained as a distinct Irish history, without an unsupported universal valiant gloss. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Syllables: 2 (this documented English reading)

Checked against cited source

Count applies to the cited English reading only; no universal count or source-language transfer asserted. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Rileigh

Checked against cited source

Explicitly listed as a given-name alternative in the exact English entry. Each spelling keeps separate popularity observations; pronunciation and cultural route are not automatically transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Rylee

Checked against cited source

Explicitly listed as a given-name alternative in the exact English entry. Each spelling keeps separate popularity observations; pronunciation and cultural route are not automatically transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Ryleigh

Checked against cited source

English given-name relationship. These spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Ryley

Checked against cited source

Explicitly listed as a given-name alternative in the exact English entry. Each spelling keeps separate popularity observations; pronunciation and cultural route are not automatically transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Spelling variant: Rylie

Checked against cited source

Explicitly listed as a given-name alternative in the exact English entry. Each spelling keeps separate popularity observations; pronunciation and cultural route are not automatically transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

country_CA

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country_FR

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country_IE

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Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

Attribution: Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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U.S. Social Security Administration

Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration

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Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

License: Statistics Canada Open Licence

Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

License: CC BY 4.0

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.

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Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.

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