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

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

Riley (given name)

Regional variations

Europe

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

Riley (given name)

United States

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.

Riley (given name)

Notable men with this given name

A

Riley Adams (born 1996), American baseball player

Riley Armstrong (ice hockey) (born 1984), Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Riley Armstrong (musician) (born 1976), Canadian singer-songwriter

Riley Ayre (born 1996), Australian cricketer

B

Riley Barber (born 1994), American ice hockey player

Riley Bartholomew (1807–1894), American politician and pioneer

Riley Baugus, American guitarist

Riley P. Bechtel (born 1952), American businessman

Riley A. Bender (1890–1973), American businessman and politician

Riley Bidois (born 2002), New Zealand footballer

Riley Biggs (1900–1971), American football player

Riley Black, American paleontologist

Riley Bonner (born 1997), Australian rules footballer

Riley Breckenridge (born 1975), American musician

Riley Brett (1895–1982), American race car driver

Riley Brockington (born 1975), Canadian politician

Riley Brown (born 1984), Australian rugby union footballer

Riley Bullough (born 1993), American football player

C

Riley Chamberlin (1852–1917), American actor

Riley Cooper (born 1987), American football player

Riley Cote (born 1982), Canadian ice hockey player

D

Riley Damiani (born 2000), Canadian ice hockey player

Riley Darnell (1940–2020), American lawyer and politician

Riley Dean (born 2001), Irish rugby union footballer

Riley Dixon (born 1993), American football player

Riley Dodge (born 1988), American football player

Riley Dolezal (born 1985), American javelin thrower

E

Riley Etheridge Jr., American singer-songwriter

F

Riley Ferguson (born 1995), American football player

Riley Fitzsimmons (born 1996), Australian canoeist

G

Riley Gaines, American swimmer

Riley Gardner (1921–2007), American psychologist

Riley Gibbs (born 1996), American sailor

Riley Gill (born 1985), American ice hockey player

Riley Grant (born 1995), American soccer player

Riley Green (singer) (born 1988), American singer-songwriter

Riley Greene (born 2000), American baseball player

Riley Griffiths (born 1997), American football player

H

Riley Harbottle (born 2000), English footballer

Riley Hatch (1862–1925), American singer

Riley Hawk (born 1992), American skateboarder

Riley Hekure (born 1994), Papua New Guinean cricketer

Riley Herbst (born 1999), American stock car racing driver

Riley Hern (1878–1929), Canadian ice hockey player

Riley Higgins (born 2002), New Zealand rugby union footballer

Riley Hill (actor) (1914–1993), American actor

Riley Holzapfel (born 1988), Canadian ice hockey player

Riley D. Housewright (1913–2003), American microbiologist

I

Riley Ingram (born 1941), American politician

J

Riley Janes (born 1980), Canadian swimmer

Riley Jones (actor), English actor

K

Riley Keaton (born 1997), American politician

Riley Keough (born 1989), American actress

Riley Knight (born 1995), Australian rules footballer

Riley B. King American blues artist

L

Riley Lee (born 1951), American-Australian shakuhachi player

Riley Leonard (born 2002), American football player

Riley Loos (born 2000), American gymnast

M

Riley Martin (1946–2015), American author

Riley Matheson (1914–1987), American football player

Riley Mattson (born 1938), American football player

Riley McCarron (born 1993), American football player