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🌿 PopularGirl nameIrish (Gaelic)

Riley

“Valiant, courageous”

2 syllables · 5 letters

About the name Riley

Riley began as an Irish surname and spent the 1990s as a boys' name before girls took the larger share. The sheer number of competing respellings is the classic signature of a name at full saturation, though the original still leads the pack.

Riley is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, pronounced RY-lee. On the NameRarity scale it scores 19 out of 100, which places it in the popular band — a well-used favourite — expect to share it occasionally. Its strongest period was the 2010s.

Associated with
energeticfriendlyathleticadaptable

Name facts at a glance

Meaning
Valiant, courageous
Origin
Irish (Gaelic)
Gender
Girl
Pronunciation
RY-lee
Syllables
2
Letters
5
US rank
#38
Peak era
2010s
Rarity
19 / 100
Per million
~1,740
Starts with
R
Numerology
33 · The Master Teacher

How popular is Riley?

Popularity81/100
Rarity19/100

Riley sits at approximately #38 in recent US rankings. Roughly 1,740 people per million carry it — about 1 in 575. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect around 2.

Famous people named Riley

  • Riley Keough
    American actress and producer

Spellings and variants of Riley

ReillyRyleeRyleighRilee

Names similar to Riley

Uncommon

Bailey

BAY-lee

Bailiff, or the outer wall of a castle

Old English53% rare
Popular

Nora

NOR-ah

Honour, light

Irish (Gaelic)18% rare
Rare

Delaney

deh-LAY-nee

Descendant of the challenger

Irish (Gaelic)60% rare
Rare

Keira

KEER-uh

Little dark one, dark-haired

Irish (Gaelic)57% rare
Very Rare

Oona

OO-nah

Lamb

Irish (Gaelic)86% rare
Popular

Robert

RAH-bert

Bright fame

Old German25% rare
Rare

Ronan

ROH-nun

Little seal

Irish (Gaelic)58% rare
Uncommon

Rowan

ROH-an

Little red one; rowan tree

Irish (Gaelic)42% rare
Browse all 1,284 names →

Riley — frequently asked questions

What does the name Riley mean?

Riley means "Valiant, courageous". It is a name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, most often given to a girl.

How do you pronounce Riley?

Riley is pronounced RY-lee, with 2 syllables.

How rare is the name Riley?

Riley scores 19 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it popular. Roughly 1 in every 575 people carry it — about 1,740 per million.

What is the numerology number for Riley?

Riley carries the expression number 33, known as The Master Teacher. Its soul urge number is 5 and its personality number is 1.

What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Riley?

The lucky number for Riley is 33 (with 6, 15, 24 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Aquamarine Glow. The traditional lucky day is Friday and the associated gemstone is Turquoise.

Is Riley a popular name?

Riley currently sits around rank #38 in the United States, and its strongest period was the 2010s.