Riley
Riley Origin and Meaning
Riley -- one of the most popular unisex names -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000.
In fact, after a decade of softening, Riley has recently taken a turn upward for boys, along with a lot of other gender-neutral names. These days, parents are embracing unisex names even more enthusiastically for their sons than for their daughters.
Riley ranks in the Top 100 for boys throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, though interestingly not in its native Ireland. In the US, Riley is the most popular Irish name for girls.
There are lots of athletes and other notable real-life namesakes for a boy named Riley, as well as fictional ones in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight: Eclipse. And Riley can easily be shortened for a boy to Ry or Lee.
- Riley Rank in US Top 1000
- Riley Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
- Names Similar to Riley
- Famous People Named Riley
- Riley in Pop Culture
- Riley in Nameberry Blog Posts
Riley Rank in US Top 1000
Riley Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Riley Popularity
- 225US2022
- 369Nameberry2024
- 70England2021
- 85Scotland2023
- 44Australia2022
- 44New Zealand2023
- 97Netherlands2020
- 64Dogs2022
- 156Canada2022
20 Names Similar to Riley
Famous People Named Riley
- Riley "B.B." KingAmerican blues musician
- (James) Riley BreckenridgeAmerican drummer
- Riley ChamberlinAmerican actor
- Riley Lee MartinAmerican author and radio host
- Riley Bryant SmithAmerican actor
- Riley Mackey OdomsAmerican NFL football player
- Riley MathesonAmerican NFL football player
- Riley Thomas CooperAmerican NFL football player
- Riley GriffithsAmerican actor
- Riley PintAmerican baseball player
- Riley Thomas McDonoughAmerican musician of band Before You Exit
- Riley Sweeney Lynch (b. 1992)son of director David Lynch
- (Hudson) Riley Hawk (b. 1992)son of skateboarder Tony Hawk
- Riley Ken'ichi Marino (b. 2006)son of actor Ken Marino
- Riley Edward Donoho (b. 2006)son of actress Holly Marie Combs
- Riley John WagnerLewis (b. 2006), son of TV journalist Katie Wagner
- Riley James David Hill (b. 2008)son of reality TV personality Steven Hill
- Riley Kinnear (b. 2010)son of actors Rory Kinnear and Pandora Collin
- Riley Doran Manno (b. 2018)son of American television and radio host Kevin Manno and American television personality, correspondent, host, spokesperson, and blogger Ali Fedotowsky,Manno, brother to Molly Sullivan
Riley in Pop Culture
- Riley Finncharacter on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
- Riley Freemancharacter in "The Boondocks" comic strip and TV series
- Riley Stavroscharacter on TV's "Degrassi: The Next Generation"
- Riley Robertscharacter on TV's "The Torkelsons"
- Riley Poolecharacter in the National Treasure movies
- Riley Parkercharacter on Australian TV soap "Neighbours"
- Riley Costellocharacter on British soap "Hollyoaks"
- Riley Baycharacter in "Awoken" by Serra Elinsen
- Riley Cromoscharacter in "Sims" series
- Riley Bierscharacter in the Twilight Saga
- Riley Douglas Martincharacter on TV's "Living with Fran"
- Riley Burnscharacter in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
- Rileya British motor car named after its originators, the Riley family
- Riley (as distinct from Reilly) is not always an Irish surname; it also originates in the English county of Lancashire.
- "The Life of Riley" song by The Lightning Seeds
Riley in Nameberry Blog Posts
- Ten Secrets to Loving Your Child's Name
- Irish Baby Names: Last Names First
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- Grandparent Names Today May Surprise You
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- IRISH CELEBRITY BABY NAMES
- Sister Names Share Style
- The Top Unisex Names in Every US State
- Top Baby Names by Letter Through the Ages
- Classic Boy Names: John’s Extended Family
- Irish Baby Names 2018
- Baby Name News: Stormy and Sweet
- People Names for Dogs
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- Wilder Baby Names: Little Names on the Prairie
- Irish Baby Names: Top Choices Here and There
- Vintage Baby Names: Lost Boys of 1916
- Boy Baby Names: Gone to the Dogs?
- Unique Middle Names You Didn't Even Know Were Names
- Unisex Girl Names: the Past, Present, and Future
- Most Popular Girl Names Of 2016
- Top Baby Names 2022: The Playground Analysis
- Transforming Top to Uncommon Girl Names
- UK vs US Popular Baby Names
- US vs UK Baby Names: Vive la difference!
- March Baby Names Let The Sunshine In!
- How Not To Name The Baby: Top 10 Baby-Naming Don’ts
- Yes, Millennial Mom Names Can Work for Alpha Era Girls!
- Transforming Top to Uncommon Female Dog Names
- Transforming Top to Uncommon Male Dog Names
- Sibling Names: The Ultimate Guide
- The Top Baby Names A-Z
- 100 Unisex Names for Boys
- Australia's Top Baby Names of 2022
- 100 Best Girl Names Below the Top 1000
- Celebrity Grandparent Names
- Double-Barrel Names: US vs. UK
- British Names: the Ultimate Guide
- Irish Baby Names: Rare in the US
- Unisex Names That Switched From Boy to Girl
- These Were the Top Baby Names of 2023
- Bold Boy Names: How about Thor?
- Presidential Names for Babies: Who's Winning?