Raleigh

Raleigh - A very unique male name

Raleigh appeared on the charts for the first time in 1911 on position #640. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Raleigh and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Raleigh? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Raleigh. The baby boy name Raleigh was given to 15 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2739 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 97,752 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Raleigh peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 495.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Raleigh, 1-5?

Raleigh is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Raleigh is currently topping the baby name charts in Tennessee at position #1,151 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,724.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Raleigh is where you live.

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Raleigh origin and meaning

English place name and surname

From the Old English place name — ra 'roe deer' and leah 'wood, clearing': 'roe-deer clearing'

Raleigh is a place and surname name — the place name's Old English elements are clear — best known through Sir Walter Raleigh's surname and the North Carolina capital named for him. As a boy's given name it peaked in 1921 and has fallen since.

Attested etymology

Raleigh is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Raleigh, pop culture references for the name Raleigh and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Raleigh

We've found the following names that sound similar to Raleigh, sorted by popularity.

Ralik / Raliek /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Raleigh

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Raleigh a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Raleigh?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

RAH-lee · /ˈrɑːli/
Split between RAH-lee (the city) and RAY-lee

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Rawley — Older surname variant

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Place nameSurname

Why parents choose it

Raleigh has a genteel, Southern, early-1900s feel — a period revival rather than a modern coinage.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation splits RAH-lee/RAY-lee, and Walter Raleigh holds the name only as a surname, so he is not a first-name bearer