Riley (given name)
| Riley | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈraɪli/ RY-lee |
| Gender | Male & Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Irish Gaelic |
| Meaning | "valiant", "rye clearing" |
 |
Look up Riley in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Riley is a given name for males and females, which first appeared as Raghallach, which was originated on a man who died in the Battle of Clontarf. Its source gives its meaning as "valiant".[1]
Though originally a given name, it is more popular and well known as a surname. The surname's first variant is Ó Raghallaigh (Descendent of/Of Raghallach) which was later adapted in English as O'Reilly which itself has been anglicized into "Reilly". The surname "Riley" is an over time translated version of Reilly.
It currently is #8 in England and Wales, #9 in Northern Ireland, #15 in Scotland, #30 in Australia and New Zealand, #64 in Canada, #156 in the United States, and #198 in the Netherlands.
People with first name "Riley"
- Riley Armstrong (disambiguation), multiple people
- Riley P. Bechtel (1952–), American businessman
- Riley A. Bender (1890–1973), American businessman and politician
- Riley Breckenridge (1975–), American musician
- Riley Brett (1895–1982), American race car driver
- Riley Chamberlin (1852–1917), American silent film actor
- Riley Cooper (1987-) American football player
- Riley Cote (1982–), Canadian hockey player
- Riley Darnell (1940–), American Secretary of State of Tennessee
- Riley Dolezal (born 1985), American javelin thrower
- Riley Hern (1880–1929), Canadian ice hockey player
- Riley B. King (B.B. King) (1925–), American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter
- Riley Martin (1946–), American author
- Riley Matheson (1914–1987), American football player
- Riley Mattson (1938–), American football player
- Riley Franklin McConnell (1884&mascot1940), American recipient of the Navy Cross
- Riley Nash (1989–), Canadian ice hockey player
- Riley Dobi Noel (1972–2004), American murderer
- Riley O'Neill (1985–), Canadian soccer player
- Riley Odoms (1950–), American football player
- Riley L. Pitts (1937–1967), first African-American to be awarded the Medal of Honor
- Riley Puckett (1894–1946), American musician
- Riley Salmon (1976–), American volleyball player
- Riley Skinner (1986–), American college football player
- Riley Smith (1978–), American actor
- Riley Smith (American football) (1911–1999), American football player
- Riley E. Stratton (1823–1866), Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
- Riley Swanson (1984–), American football player
- Riley Thomson (1912–1960), American animator and comics artist
- Riley Voelkel (1990–), American actress
- Riley Wallace (1941–), American college basketball coach
- Riley Ware (1962–), American football player
- Riley J. Wilson (1871–1946), American educator, attorney, and United States Representative
- Rileyalbertson* a singer
Fictional characters
- Riley Adams, character in the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- Riley Biers, a character in the Twilight books
- Riley Daring, character in the Disney show The Replacements
- Riley Dawson, character in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- Riley Finn, character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Riley Freeman, African-American Boondocks character
- Riley Matthews, a character in the Disney show Girl Meets World
- Riley Parker, Australian character on the Australian soap opera Neighbours
- Riley Poole, character in the National Treasure franchise
- Riley Stavros, a character in Degrassi: The Next Generation
Notes
- ↑ Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2007). Baby Name Bible. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-35220-2