Rayleigh

Rayleigh - A very unique female name

Rayleigh appeared on the charts for the first time in 2000 on position #4373. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rayleigh and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rayleigh? 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 Rayleigh. The baby girl name Rayleigh was given to 95 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1468 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 13,721 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rayleigh peaked in popularity 6 years ago in 2020 on position 1219.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rayleigh, 1-5?

Rayleigh is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rayleigh is currently topping the baby name charts in Kentucky at position #361 - and is the least popular in California at position #3,027.

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 Rayleigh is where you live.

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Rayleigh origin and meaning

English surname, transferred

Uncertain — Rayleigh is an English place and surname name whose own elements are disputed

Rayleigh is a town and surname from Essex, carried into girls' naming recently by the fashionable -leigh ending and by names like Ray and Kaylee. Its surname history does not give it a settled personal-name meaning. It peaked in 2018 and is falling.

Origin uncertain

Rayleigh is a 8 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Rayleigh

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

Ryleigh / Rileigh / Raleigh / Raeleigh / Rhyleigh /

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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 Rayleigh

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 Rayleigh 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 female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Rayleigh?

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

RAY-lee · /ˈreɪli/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Raylee — Phonetic respelling
• Railee — Respelling without the ygh

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 2000, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Parents like Rayleigh for its polished, surname-style sound with a soft -leigh finish — a name assembled from pieces that are all in fashion.

Worth knowing

• Spelling is a real burden — Rayleigh, Raylee, Railee and Ryleigh are easily mixed up.
• Also the surname of the physicist Lord Rayleigh, an association some will make.