Reilly

Reilly - A very unique female name

Reilly appeared on the charts for the first time in 1988 on position #4143. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Reilly and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Reilly? 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 Reilly. The baby girl name Reilly was given to 23 baby girls in 2025, ranking #2787 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 56,673 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Reilly peaked in popularity 28 years ago in 1998 on position 609.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Reilly, 1-5?

Reilly is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Reilly is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #1,139 - and is the least popular in New York at position #2,022.

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 Reilly is where you live.

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Reilly origin and meaning

Irish surname

A transferred Irish surname, from Ó Raghailligh; the surname's own meaning is uncertain

Reilly moved from Irish surname to girls' given name in the late 1980s, alongside Riley, and peaked in 1998. Riley has since become the dominant spelling for both sexes, leaving Reilly as the minority variant.

Origin uncertain

Reilly is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Reilly

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

Riley / Rylee / Rylie / Raylee / Royal / Rilee / Ryley / Rhylee / Raelee / Rayla /

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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 Reilly

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 Reilly 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 Reilly?

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

RYE-lee · /ˈraɪli/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Riley — The dominant spelling — a separate, much more common name
• Rylie — Respelling of the same name
• Reiley — Occasional respelling

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

Surname

Why parents choose it

Reilly keeps the surname spelling of the Riley sound, which some families prefer for its Irish look.

Worth knowing

• Riley is the default spelling by a wide margin; Reilly will be misspelled constantly.
• The surname's meaning is genuinely unknown — name sites that give one are guessing.