Meaning: Rye clearing, or an Irish surname of separate origin
The story
Riley has independent English and Irish surname routes. The English place-name means rye clearing; the Irish route is through Reilly, so valiant is not a universal meaning.
Nicknames
- Ri
- Rye
- Ry
Spellings & variants
- Reilly
- Rylee
- Ryleigh
Popularity
Top 100
One of the 100 most popular names in the US.
Similar position in the latest US rankings
Style
- Modern
- Surname-style
- Soft
Origins
Riley comes from English and Irish.
More like Riley
More English namesRowan
Little red one in Irish; also the rowan tree
Darcy
From Arcy
Casey
From Cathassach, meaning vigilant
Murphy
Surname descended from Murchadh, sea battle
Kennedy
From the Irish surname Ó Cinnéidigh
Quinn
From Conn; possibly sense or chief
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