Riley

Meaning of Riley

Riley means "valiant" or "courageous."

Riley has Irish roots — browse every Irish baby name in our catalog.

Popularity of Riley

Riley has held fairly steady, sitting around #48 in 2025 after peaking at #22 in 2016.

Riley as a boy's name

Riley is also used as a boy's name, currently ranked #208 in the US. Riley means "valiant" or "courageous." It can also mean "rye clearing" or "wood clearing."

Notable people named Riley

• Riley Keough
  Actress and model
• Riley Reid
  Adult film actress
• Riley Voelkel
  Actress (The Originals)
• Riley Green
  Country Music Artist
• Riley B. King
  Blues Guitarist

More Irish names

Questions about the name Riley

What does the name Riley mean?

Riley means riley means "valiant" or "courageous.", and it comes from Irish origins.

Is Riley a boy's or a girl's name?

Riley is used for both boys and girls in the United States, which makes it a unisex name.

How popular is the name Riley?

In 2025, Riley ranked #48 for girls, down from #42 the year before and #208 for boys, up from #229 the year before.

When was Riley most popular?

Riley peaked at #22 in 2016.