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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Riley
Riley is a beautiful unisex name with multiple meanings. It is an Irish surname from O’Reilly, derived from the Gaelic word ‘raghallach,’ meaning ‘valiant.’ Historically, they were the rulers of the present-day County Cavan, located in Ireland. This variation of Riley is a common Irish name today. The other meaning of the name comes from the Old English words’ rye’ and ‘leah,’ which combine to form ‘clearing of rye,’ the name of a place.
It has become a common name for boys and girls around the world. Ryley, Rylee, Rylie, and Ryleigh are some of its commonly known variants.
In fiction, Riley Biers is one of the characters from the Twilight novel series by Stephenie Meyer. In the novel, Victoria exploits him by feigning romantic feelings for him. The Australian actor Xavier Samuel plays him in ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.’ Riley Finn is a fictional character from the American TV series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ played by Marc Blucas. He is an opportunistic and reliable person with a history of military background and one of the love interests of the titular character Buffy played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Riley Freeman, also known as Riley Escobar or Young Reezy, is a character from the comic strip ‘The Boondocks’ written by Aaron McGruder. He is an aspiring rapper who embraces their lifestyle. Riley Dawson is a teenage character played by Leven Rambin as the love interest of John Connor in the science-fiction TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Released in 1992 by the British rock band ‘The Lightning Seeds,’ ‘The Life of Riley’ is a song from their second album, Sense. The Truth About Riley is a novel by the Irish writer Sinead Moriarty. It is a story about losing loved ones, experiencing hard times, and finding the purpose of life.
Riley
How To Pronounce Riley?
Famous People With The Name Riley
- Riley KeoughAmerican actress and granddaughter of Elvis Presley known for movies like The Girlfriend Experience, Mad Max: Fury Road, and American Honey
- Riley AdamsAmerican professional baseball catcher for Washington Nationals in the MLB
- Riley CooperAmerican former football wide receiver who played for Philadelphia Eagles
- Riley HerbstAmerican professional stock racing driver who competes in the NASCAR
- Riley RossmoCanadian comic book artist and illustrator known for his works with DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Image Comics
- Riley SmithAmerican actor known for his roles in TV series like 24, True Blood, Nancy Drew and The Messengers
Riley On The Popularity Chart
As per the data released by the Social Security Administration, the name Riley has seen some fluctuation in its popularity over the years. The chart below provides more information.
Popularity Over Time
After peaking during the year 2006 with an average of 4396 babies per million sharing the name Riley, it has declined to an average of 1434 per million during 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
While it achieved its best ever ranking in 1983, it has slipped down to the 17790th position as of 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Riley
Many iterations of Riley are popular. If you are looking for a similar sounding name, the list given below has more options.
Names With Similar Meaning As Riley
If you prefer a different name but want the same meaning as Riley, then you can consider the suggestions given below.
Name Numerology For Riley
