Reiley
Feminine
Reiley is given to both — 618 girls and 324 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Reiley is a spelling of Riley, the surname that became a first name for girls and boys alike, leaning to girls in this spelling. It lives in a phrase nobody can explain — the life of Riley — and in the Hoosier poet who was once the most popular in America.
How old is the name Reiley?
Reiley first appears in US birth records in 1991 — 34 years ago. The typical Reiley alive today was born around 2004, making them about 21 years old. About 600 people named Reiley are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Reiley most popular?
Reiley peaked in 1997, reaching #3224 nationally. See the whole 1997 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Ó Raghallaigh to Reiley
The story of Reiley
Americans have said someone is 'living the life of Riley' since the early twentieth century, meaning a life of ease, but nobody has identified the Riley; a music-hall song and James Whitcomb Riley's poems are both suggested, and neither has been proved. Riley himself, the Hoosier Poet of Indiana, wrote 'Little Orphant Annie' and 'When the Frost Is on the Punkin', and by the turn of the century he was the best-paid poet in the country. Reiley is one of the spellings that followed Riley's rise as a first name; it leans to girls, with a real share of boys.
Meaningscholars disagree
From the Irish surname Reilly or an English place name
Riley can come from the Irish Ó Raghallaigh or from the English place name Ryley, 'rye clearing'. The spelling does not say which.
How the name formed
- Ó Raghallaigh
- Riley
- Reiley
Related forms: Ó Raghallaigh · Riley · Reilly
Pronouncing Reiley
RY-lee
Two syllables with the stress on the first; the ei is said like the i in ride.
Nicknames for Reiley
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1991
- Most girls named
- 199837 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3224reached in 1997
- Change vs 2021
- −44.4%5 in 2023, from 9
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Reiley in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ó Raghallaigh in Irish — related form
- Riley in English — spelling variant
- Reilly in English — spelling variant
Reileys among us
people named Reiley are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Reiley sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Sounds like Riley, a name everyone knows.
- Works for either child.
- Distinct on paper.
- Almost everyone will write Riley.
- Some will read the ei as 'ay' and say RAY-lee.
- It leans to girls but not decisively, so either child may be taken for the other.
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What they receive
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Reiley
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Reileys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Reiley are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Reiley in 2025?
- Reiley is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Reiley with classmates?
- Reiley will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Ruth#173 · Rebecca#349 · Rachel#250 · Rose#114 · Ruby#64 · Robin#704 · Rita#1285 · Rhonda#6116
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Reiley? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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