Reilly
Reilly was the 2855th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 60 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 623rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (379). Over the last ten years it has moved down 718 places. More babies were named Reilly in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Riley) Meaning disputed · Old English, Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #2,855 girls, down 619 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 60girls
- Girls and boys
- 53% girls, 47% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1998379 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,088babies recorded
What does the name Reilly mean?
Reilly is a spelling of Riley, pronounced the same way, so it shares Riley's meaning and origin.
Riley has two separate surname origins. The English one is a place name (Ryley in Lancashire), from Old English words for 'rye' and 'clearing'. The Irish one is an anglicized form of Ó Raghallaigh (O'Reilly), from the personal name Raghallach, whose meaning is unknown. In the US it was mainly a boys' name until the 1990s and is now chiefly a girls' name.
ryge + lēah (Old English, “rye + wood or clearing”)Raghallach (Irish, “personal name, meaning unknown”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Two origins. Families of Irish descent will usually mean the O'Reilly line.
See also: English names.
Reilly popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,855 | #2,708 | 60 | 48 |
| 2020 | #2,236 | #2,538 | 81 | 51 |
| 2010 | #1,581 | #1,142 | 139 | 163 |
| 2000 | #795 | #827 | 289 | 194 |
| 1990 | #2,392 | #1,834 | 52 | 43 |
| 1980 | #7,949 | #7,058 | 8 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Reilly, counting every spelling?
Reilly is a spelling of Riley, a name family that ranked #14 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,855 for Reilly on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,243 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley | 4,441 | #48 | 23,880 |
| Rylee | 2,118 | #137 | 11,996 |
| Ryleigh | 891 | #344 | 6,416 |
| Rylie | 644 | #478 | 3,333 |
| Reilly | 60 | #2,855 | 304 |
| Rilee | 20 | #6,070 | 245 |
| Ryley | 39 | #3,823 | 235 |
| Ryli | 11 | #9,354 | 91 |
| Rylea | 13 | #8,255 | 55 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Reilly?
60 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Reilly (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Reilly born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 140 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Reilly.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Reilly?
About 5,500 people born in the US named Reilly are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 16 and 27. That makes Reilly mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Reilly by state
How common Reilly was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.4×). In 43 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Reilly: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Reilly, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Reilly
What does Reilly mean?
The meaning of Riley is disputed: two origins. Families of Irish descent will usually mean the O'Reilly line.
How popular is the name Reilly?
Reilly was the 2855th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 60 babies. Its best year was 1997, when it ranked 623rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (379). Over the last ten years it has moved down 718 places. More babies were named Reilly in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Reilly a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 53% girls, 47% boys given the name Reilly in the US.
Where is Reilly most popular?
In 2021–2025, Reilly was most common in New York (0.09 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Illinois.