Riley is a transferred use of an English surname derived from

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...

ryge ‘rye’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’. It is also derived from the Irish surname

O'Reilly O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred a ...

, which originated from the Irish name ''Raghallach'', of unknown meaning.

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.

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.

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 Riley Ayre (born 2 April 1996) is an Australian cricketer. He made his List A debut for Cricket Australia XI on 10 October 2015 in the 2015–16 Matador BBQs One-Day Cup. In February 2020, Ayre signed to play domestic cricket in Ireland during ...

(born 1996), Australian cricketer

B

Riley Barber Riley Barber (born February 7, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently under contract with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Barber was selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round (1 ...

(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 Riley Bidois (born 12 March 2002) is a professional New Zealand footballer who plays as a forward for Dandenong City. Bidois joined the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in 2019 after he was spotted playing in the Western Springs U17 tournament wh ...

(born 2002), New Zealand footballer * Riley Biggs (1900–1971), American football player * Riley Bonner (born 1997), Australian rules footballer * Riley Breckenridge (born 1975), American musician * Riley Brett (1895–1982), American race car driver *

Riley Brockington Riley Brockington (born November 13, 1975) is an Ottawa City Councillor for River Ward and former trustee of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Personal Brockington grew up in the Riverside Park/Mooney's Bay neighbourhood of Ottawa's Ri ...

(born 1975), Canadian politician *

Riley Brown Riley Brown (born 15 October 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL). He primarily played as a Hooker. Background Brown was born in Bundab ...

(born 1984), Australian rugby union footballer *

Riley Bullough Riley Bullough (born November 23, 1993) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Michigan State, and was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. College career Bullough played four ...

(born 1993), American football player

C

Riley Chamberlin Riley Chamberlin (November 7, 1854 – January 24, 1917) was an American silent film actor. Born in Byron, Michigan, he was a graduate of Grand Rapids High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Clinet College, Cornell University, and ...

(1852–1917), American actor * Riley Cooper (born 1987), American football player *

Riley Cote Riley D. Cote (born March 16, 1982) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and formerly an assistant coach with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played eight National Hockey League (NHL) sea ...

(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 Riley Dean (born 10 August 2001) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays for Castleford Tigers, on an initial two week loan from Warrington Wolves in the Super League. Club career Warrington Wolves In 2019 he made his Super League ...

(born 2001), Irish rugby union footballer *

Riley Dixon Riley may refer to: Names * Riley (given name) * Riley (surname) Places * Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada * Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada * ...

(born 1993), American football player *

Riley Dodge Riley Dodge (born October 12, 1988) is an American football coach and former player. He has been head coach at Carroll Senior High School since 2018. Early life Riley Dodge was born on October 12, 1988. His father is head coach Todd Dodge and his ...

(born 1988), American football player *

Riley Dolezal } Riley Dolezal (born November 16, 1985) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. His personal record for the event is and he is the 2013 and 2017 United States Javelin champion. He now works at Horace High Sch ...

(born 1985), American javelin thrower

E

* Riley Etheridge Jr., American singer-songwriter

F

Riley Ferguson Riley Logan Ferguson (born January 19, 1995) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Memphis. Early years Ferguson attended David W. Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina. He had 2,173 passing yards ...

(born 1995), American football player *

Riley Ferrell Riley may refer to: Names * Riley (given name) * Riley (surname) Places * Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada * Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada * ...

(born 1993), American baseball player * Riley Fitzsimmons (born 1996), Australian canoeist

G

Riley Gardner Dr. Riley W. Gardner (October 31, 1921 – October 23, 2007) was an American psychologist who published works on individual differences and cognition. Early life and education Gardner was born in Ree Heights, South Dakota, and was the son of Hug ...

(1921–2007), American psychologist * Riley Gibbs (born 1996), American sailor * Riley Gill (born 1985), American ice hockey player *

Riley Grant Riley Neal Grant (born January 27, 1995) is an American soccer player who plays as a defender. Previously, he played professionally for Seattle Sounders FC 2, and also appeared for AFC Cleveland and Cleveland SC, where he was used as a forward ...

(born 1995), American soccer player *

Riley Green (singer) Riley Green (born October 18, 1988) is an American country music singer/songwriter. He saw his first success with the single " There Was This Girl" in 2018. He released an album, '' Different 'Round Here'', in September 2019. Born and raised in J ...

(born 1988), American singer-songwriter * Riley Greene (born 2000), American baseball player *

Riley Griffiths Riley Griffiths (born May 14, 1997) is an American football player and former actor, best known for his role as Charles Kaznyk in the 2011 film, '' Super 8''. Early life and education Griffiths was born on May 14, 1997, in Cedar City, Utah. His f ...

(born 1997), American football player

H

* Riley Harbottle (born 2000), English footballer *

Riley Hatch William Riley Hatch (September 2, 1862 – September 6, 1925) was an American singer and actor on stage and in silent films. Hatch's Broadway debut came in ''The Burgomaster'' (1900); his final Broadway appearance was in ''The Nervous Wreck'' ...

(1862–1925), American singer *

Riley Hawk Hudson Riley Hawk (born December 6, 1992) is an American professional skateboarder and musician. He is the son of Tony Hawk. Unlike his father, who is known for his vert style, Riley is better known as a street skater. He turned pro on his 21st ...

(born 1992), American skateboarder * Riley Hekure (born 1994), Papua New Guinean cricketer *

Riley Herbst Riley Dederick Kern Herbst (born February 24, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Campi ...

(born 1999), American stock car racing driver *

Riley Hern William Milton "Riley" Hern (December 5, 1878 – June 24, 1929) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was the first professional goaltender to play on a Stanley Cup-winning team. Biography Hern began playing ice hockey at an earl ...

(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, English actor

K

* Riley Keaton (born 1997), American politician * Riley Knight (born 1995), Australian rules footballer

L

Riley Lee Riley Kelly Lee (born 1951) is an American-born Australian-based shakuhachi player and teacher. In 1980 he became the first non-Japanese person to attain the rank of Dai Shihan (grand master) in the shakuhachi tradition. He is a recipient of tw ...

(born 1951), American-Australian shakuhachi player *

Riley Loos Riley Austin Loos (born October 6, 2000) is an American artistic gymnast. He was a member of the gold medal-winning team at both the 2018 and 2022 Pan American Championships. He is a member of the United States men's national gymnastics team ...

(born 2000), American gymnast

M

Riley Martin Riley Lee Martin (May 9, 1946 – December 22, 2015) was an American self-described alien contactee, author, and radio host. Martin was the author of the book ''The Coming of Tan'', which describes his life and his alleged alien visitation. H ...

(1946–2015), American author * Riley Matheson (1914–1987), American football player * Riley Mattson (born 1938), American football player *

Riley McCarron Riley McCarron (born June 16, 1993) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at the University of Iowa, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent after the 2017 NFL Draft. Early life McCarro ...

(born 1993), American football player * Riley McCormick (born 1991), Canadian diver *

Riley McGovern Riley McGovern (born October 17, 1991) is an American soccer player. Career College and Amateur McGovern spent his entire college career at the University of New Mexico, playing for his outstanding head coach Jeremy Fishbein. He lists Fishbein am ...

(born 1991), American soccer player *

Riley McGree Riley Patrick McGree (born 2 November 1998) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough and the Australian national team. Born in Gawler, South Australia, McGree playe ...

(born 1998), Australian footballer * Riley Meredith (born 1996), Australian cricketer *

Riley Carter Millington Riley Carter Millington (born 1993/1994) is an English actor known for playing Kyle Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2015–2016. He was the first trans man to play a regular transgender character in British soap history. ''The Indep ...

(born 1993/1994), English actor * Riley Milne (born 1990), Australian rules footballer *

Riley Moore Riley Moore (born July 1, 1980) is an American politician who has served as state treasurer of West Virginia since January 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the West Virginia House of Delegates for the 67th district. ...

(born 1980/1981), American politician * Riley Morris (1935–2017), American football player * Riley Moss (born 2000), American football player

N

Riley Nash Riley Nash (born May 9, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, 21st over ...

(born 1989), Canadian ice hockey player *

Riley Nelson Riley Nelson (born November 8, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who most notably played 11 seasons for minor league team, the Colorado Eagles in the ECHL. He is the all-time franchise leader in goals, assists and points fo ...

(born 1977), Canadian ice hockey player * Riley Dobi Noel (1972–2004), American murderer *

Riley Nottingham Riley Nottingham (born 1991) is an Australian actor. He is known for his work in the children's TV series '' Toybox'' and the film '' Dimensions''. He also portrays Dr Langdon Marsh in ''Metro Sexual'' alongside Geraldine Hickey and has appeare ...

(born 1991), Australian actor

O

Riley O'Brien Riley Chun-Young O'Brien (born February 6, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds. He made his MLB debut in 2021. Amateur career O'Brien a ...

(born 1995), American baseball player *

Riley O'Neill Riley O'Neill (born September 9, 1985) is a Canadian soccer coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for Pacific FC. Club career On January 18, 2007 O'Neill was drafted by Colorado Rapids in the third round (36th overall) of the ...

(born 1985), Canadian footballer * Riley Odoms (born 1950), American football player

P

* Riley Parsons (born 2000), English snooker player *

Riley Patterson Riley Patterson (born September 7, 1999) is an American football placekicker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis. High school career Patterson played high school footbal ...

(born 1998), American football player * Riley Pint (born 1997), American baseball player * Riley L. Pitts (1937–1967), American soldier * Riley Puckett (1894–1946), American musician

R

Riley Reiff Riley Reiff (born December 1, 1988) is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round, 23 ...

(born 1988), American football player * Riley Ridley (born 1996), American football player * Riley Edward Robinson (1847–1921), English minister *

Riley Rossmo Riley Rossmo is a Canadian comic book artist and illustrator, known for his work on various Image Comics titles, as well as Marvel Comics' ''Daken: Dark Wolverine''. Rossmo is an instructor at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Personal life ...

, Canadian comic book artist

S

Riley Salmon Riley Salmon (born July 2, 1976, in Amarillo, Texas) is a volleyball player from the United States. He graduated from Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, and played two years of varsity volleyball at Pierce College from 1994-96 bef ...

(born 1976), American volleyball player * Riley Schmidt (born 1976), American actor * Riley Senft (born 1979), Canadian humanitarian *

Riley Sheahan Riley Michael Sheahan (born December 7, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for EHC Biel of the National League (NL). He was drafted 21st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Sheahan has previously played ...

(born 1991), Canadian ice hockey player *

Riley Shepard Richard Riley Shepard (October 21, 1918 – November 6, 2009) was an American country musician, songwriter, and folk music archivist. For much of his life, Shepard was an accomplished confidence trickster and used a variety of stage names and ...

(1918–2009), American musician *

Riley Skinner Riley Skinner (born October 21, 1986) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest University. College career Skinner played high ...

(born 1986), American football player * Riley Smith (born 1978), American actor *

Riley Smith (American football) Riley Henry Smith (July 14, 1911 – August 9, 1999) was an American football player, a quarterback for the Boston Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) during the mid-1930s. He played college football for the University of Alabam ...

(1911–1999), American football player *

Riley Stearns Riley Stearns (born June 29, 1986) is an American filmmaker best known for directing the films '' Faults'' (2014) and '' The Art of Self-Defense'' (2019). Early life Stearns was born on June 29, 1986 in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Pflugerville ...

(born 1986), American filmmaker * Riley Stewart (1919–2000), American baseball player *

Riley Stillman Riley Stillman (born March 9, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round, 114th overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry D ...

(born 1998), Canadian ice hockey player * Riley E. Stratton (1823–1866), American attorney * Riley Swanson (born 1984), American attorney

T

Riley Thilthorpe Riley Thilthorpe (born 7 July 2002) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with the 2nd draft pick in the 2020 AFL draft. ...

(born 2002), Australian rules footballer *

Riley Thomson Riley A. Thomson Jr. (October 5, 1912 – January 26, 1960) was an American animator and comics artist who spent most of his career working with Walt Disney films and characters. He directed six Disney short films including ''The Nifty Nineties'' ...

(1912–1960), American animator *

Riley Tufte Riley Jack Tufte (born April 10, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing with the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He formerly ...

(born 1998), American ice hockey player

U

* Riley Uggla (born 1995), British-Canadian designer

V

Riley Voelkel Riley Emilia Voelkel (born April 26, 1990) is an American-born Canadian actress. She is known for portraying Freya Mikaelson on The CW television series '' The Originals'' and '' Legacies''. Voelkel also played the role of Jenna Johnson on the HB ...

(born 1990), American-Canadian actress

W

Riley Wallace Robert Riley Wallace (born October 25, 1941) is an American retired basketball coach. He spent most of his career coaching college basketball, and was the head coach of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors men's team from 1987 through 2007. Early life an ...

(born 1941), American basketball coach * Riley "Special" Wallace (born 1983), Canadian musician *

Riley Wang Riley Wang (, born March 18, 1996) is a Canadian actor, singer and DJ. He was a member of the Taiwanese boyband SpeXial from 2015 to 2017. Biography Riley Wang was born in Taiwan, on March 18, 1996. His family emigrated to Canada when he was t ...

(born 1996), Canadian-Taiwanese actor * Riley Ware (born 1962), American football player * Riley Warland (born 2002), Australian footballer * Riley Watson (1859–1915), English doctor * Riley Weselowski (born 1985), Canadian ice hockey player *

Riley J. Wilson Riley Joseph Wilson (November 12, 1871 – February 23, 1946) was a Louisiana educator, attorney and legislator in the first half of the late 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. A Democrat, Wilson served in the United States ...

(1871–1946), American attorney and legislator *

Riley Woodcock Riley Paul Woodcock is an Australian professional football (soccer) player who currently plays as a left back for Sydney Olympic in the NSW Premier League. Early career Woodcock advanced through the youth setup at Cockburn City SC, the Austr ...

(born 1995), Australian footballer

Y

* Riley S. Young (1860–1952), American politician

Notable women with this given name

* Riley Clemmons (born 1999), American musician *

Riley Day Riley Day (born 30 March 2000) is an Australian sprinter. She was selected for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and competed in the Women's 200 meters. Day came third in her heat and therefore qualified for the semi-final. She managed a time ...

(born 2000), Australian sprinter *

Riley Hoover Riley Catherine Hoover (born 23 January 1998) is an American-born Guamanian footballer who plays as a defender. She has been a member of the Guam women's national team. Early life Hoover was raised in Brea, California California is a s ...

(born 1998), Guamanian-American footballer *

Riley Keough Danielle Riley Keough ( ; born May 29, 1989) is an American actress, notable for being the daughter of musicians Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, and granddaughter of actress Priscilla Presley and singer Elvis Presley, and starting a succes ...

(born 1989), American actress * Riley Mants (born 1978), Canadian swimmer *

Riley McCusker Riley Shannon McCusker (born July 9, 2001) is an American artistic gymnast and a six-time member of the United States women's national gymnastics team (2016–2021). She is the 2019 Pan American Games and 2017 United States national uneven bar ...

(born 2001), American artistic gymnast * Riley Montana (born 1990), American fashion model * Riley Redgate, American author *

Riley Reid Riley Reid (born July 9, 1991) is an American pornographic actress. She has won over 45 awards, including the 2014 XBIZ Award for Female Performer of the Year and the AVN Award for Female Performer of the Year in 2016. She was inducted into the ...

(born 1991), American pornographic actress * Riley Schillaci (born 1982), American performance artist *

Riley Steele Riley Steele is an American pornographic actress and escortbr> Early life Steele grew up in Escondido, California. Before starting her adult film career, she worked at Starbucks and at a golf course snack bar. Adult film career In 2005, Stee ...

(born 1987), American pornographic actress * Riley Weston (born 1966), American actress

Fictional male characters

* Riley Biers, a character in the novel series '' The Twilight Saga'' *

Riley Finn Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, " The Freshman", and Blucas was part of ...

, character in the television series ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although the events of the film are not consid ...

'' *

Riley Freeman Riley Freeman is a character from the syndicated comic strip ''The Boondocks'' written by Aaron McGruder and its TV series adaptation. He often refers to himself as "Riley Escobar," and in season two of the TV series, he also refers to himself a ...

, character in the animated television series ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...

'' * Riley Parker, a character in ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

'' *Riley is also the name of the playable dog character in '' Call Of Duty: Ghosts''

Fictional female characters

*Riley Abel, a character in the video game '' The Last of Us: Left Behind'' *Riley Andersen, a character in the film ''

Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...

'' *Riley Blue, a character in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

Sense8 ''Sense8'' (a play on the word '' sensate'' ) is an American science fiction drama streaming television series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski for Netflix. The production companies behind ''Sense8'' included ...

'' *Riley Daring, a character in ''The Replacements'' *Riley Dawson, character in the television series '' Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' *Riley Matthews, a character in the Disney Channel spinoff series ''

Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 2 ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley (Given Name) English feminine given names English masculine given names English given names English unisex given names