Wikipedia

Riley (given name)

This article is about the given name "Riley". For the surname, see Riley (surname). For other uses, see Riley (disambiguation).

Riley is a transferred use of an English surname derived from Old English ryge ‘rye’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.[1] [2]

Riley
Pronunciation/ˈraɪli/ RY-lee
GenderUnisex
Origin
Language(s)Old English, Irish
Other names
Related namesReilly, Rileigh, Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie

It is also derived from the Irish surname O'Reilly, [3] which originated from the Irish name Raghallach, of unknown meaning. [4]

Regional variations edit

Europe edit

In the United Kingdom, it is still primarily a boy's name, and was the 40th most popular name for boys in 2016.[5]

United States edit

Until the 1990s and early 2000s, Riley was primarily a boy's name in the United States. However, it has become a popular name for girls in the United States and remains in wide use there for girls, with many variant spellings also in use, including Reiley, Reilly, Reily, Rhilee, Rhiley, Rhylee, Rhylei, Rhyleigh, Rhyley, Rhyli, Rhylie, Rielee, Rilee, Rileigh, Rilie, Ryelee, Rylea, Rylee, Rylei, Ryleigh, Ryley, Ryli, Rylie, Ryliee, and Ryliegh. It also remains a well-used name there for boys, also with variant spellings.[6] [7]

Notable men with this given name edit

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Notable women with this given name edit

Fictional male characters edit

Fictional female characters edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Riley - given name origin".
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ Bardsley, Charles Wareing (1901). A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames. Henry Frowde. p. 647. ISBN 9785871144015.
  4. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  5. ^ Busby, Mattha (Sep 20, 2017). "Olivia and Oliver were 2016's top baby names in England and Wales". The Guardian. Retrieved Aug 12, 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. ^ "Popular Baby Names".
  7. ^ Rauwerda, Anne (10 November 2021). "Haileigh and Beighleigh and Paisleigh, oh my!". michigandaily.com. Michigan Daily. Retrieved 10 January 2023.


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