Railey
An English unisex name derived from the surname Railey, possibly meaning "small clearing of land".
Name Census estimates that about 794 living Americans carry the first name Railey. It is a predominantly female name (94.0% of registrations). The average person named Railey today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Railey births was 2006 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Railey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
794
~ 1 in 431,681 Americans
Peak year
2006
51 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2011 SSA rank
#8,290
Tracked since 1995
Census
Railey in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 761 people with the first name Railey, which placed it at #15,191 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#15,191
National first-name rank
People counted
761
761 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
66.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Railey
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Railey is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Black (11.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Railey described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Railey at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.2% · 504
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 90
- Black or African American11.6% · 88
- Two or more races5.5% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 8
Gender
Gender distribution for Railey
Railey leans heavily female at 94.0% of total registrations, but 48 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Railey as a male name
- Ranked #13,854 in 2011
- 5 male births in 2011
- Peak: 2008 (11 births)
Railey as a female name
- Ranked #8,290 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (48 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Railey leans strongly female. 651 people counted with this name were female (86.6%), compared with 101 male bearers (13.4%).
Popularity
Railey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Railey from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 355 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Railey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Railey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raileys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Railey, while Utah, Florida, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Railey
The name Railey is a relatively modern English name, with its origins dating back to the late 19th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "raes," which means "journey" or "expedition." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their adventurous spirit or their travels.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Railey can be found in the 1881 census records of England and Wales, where a handful of individuals were listed with this name. However, it is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have varied during that time period.
While the name Railey does not have a long and storied history like some other names, it has been borne by a few notable individuals throughout the years. One such person was Railey Woodcock, an American poet and writer who lived from 1892 to 1965. Her works explored themes of nature and spirituality, and she was known for her descriptive and evocative writing style.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Railey was Sir Railey Featherstone, a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to various countries in the early 20th century. He was born in 1878 and played a significant role in shaping international relations during his time in office.
In the realm of sports, Railey Thompson was a professional baseball player who played for several teams in the early 1900s. He was known for his skilled pitching and was part of the 1908 World Series-winning team.
Moving into the field of science, Railey Hawkins was a renowned entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of insect behavior and ecology. She lived from 1910 to 1998 and authored numerous research papers and books on her findings.
Lastly, Railey Delaney was a celebrated artist and sculptor in the mid-20th century. Born in 1920, her works often explored themes of human emotion and the human form, and she was widely acclaimed for her unique and thought-provoking creations.
While the name Railey may not have a long and extensive history, it has been borne by individuals who have made their mark in various fields, from literature and diplomacy to sports and the arts. The name's association with adventure and exploration has perhaps inspired some of its bearers to embark on remarkable journeys of their own.
People
Railey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Railey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Railey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Railey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 794 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Railey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 431,681 US residents.
Is Railey a common name?
We classify Railey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 803 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Railey most popular?
The single biggest year for Railey was 2006, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Railey is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Railey in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 761 people with the name Railey, or 0.25 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #15,191 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Railey in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Railey?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Railey leans strongly female. 651 people counted with this name were female (86.6%), compared with 101 male bearers (13.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Railey?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Railey is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Black (11.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Railey most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Railey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.2% (504 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Railey in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Railey a female name?
Yes, 94.0% of people registered as Railey in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Railey still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Railey in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Railey can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Railey?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.