Riley
Girl name · #48 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Riley? In official American birth records, Riley has been tracked continuously since 1923, giving it 102 years of documented American history.
Riley is currently the #48 girl name in the United States — 4,441 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #35, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 405 girls born in 2025 was named Riley.
Babies named Riley per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 102-year story
Riley first appears in the Social Security records in 1923, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 7,159 girls were named Riley — good for #22 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Riley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Riley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Riley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Riley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Riley is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Riley is most common in RI (9 per 1,000), NH (7.6 per 1,000), DC (7.4 per 1,000), DE (7.1 per 1,000), CT (6.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 3.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Riley is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Riley
Statistically, parents drawn to Riley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Paisley, Hadley, Kinsley, Avery, and Zoey.
PaisleyHadleyKinsleyAveryZoeyAudreyHaileySadie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Riley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,441 | #48 |
| 2024 | 4,657 | #42 |
| 2023 | 4,643 | #43 |
| 2022 | 4,914 | #39 |
| 2021 | 5,225 | #37 |
| 2020 | 5,339 | #33 |
| 2019 | 5,712 | #30 |
| 2018 | 6,010 | #28 |
| 2017 | 6,368 | #25 |
| 2016 | 7,159 | #22 |
| 2015 | 5,739 | #35 |
| 2014 | 4,800 | #47 |
| 2013 | 4,941 | #45 |
| 2012 | 4,833 | #47 |
| 2011 | 5,045 | #47 |
| 2010 | 5,543 | #40 |
| 2009 | 5,637 | #38 |
| 2008 | 5,774 | #39 |
| 2007 | 5,212 | #52 |
| 2006 | 5,056 | #56 |
| 2005 | 5,127 | #54 |
| 2004 | 4,982 | #58 |
| 2003 | 4,243 | #72 |
| 2002 | 3,906 | #77 |
| 2001 | 3,044 | #106 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Riley?
In official American birth records, the name Riley first appeared in 1923 (over 102 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 102 years.
Is Riley a popular girl name?
Riley ranked #48 among girls in 2025 with 4,441 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #35.
When was the name Riley most popular?
Riley peaked in 2016, when 7,159 American girls received the name (ranked #22 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Riley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 405 newborn American girls was named Riley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.