Raley
A feminine name of English origin, a variant spelling of "Rayleigh".
Name Census estimates that about 373 living Americans carry the first name Raley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raley today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raley births was 2007 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raley. 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
373
~ 1 in 918,912 Americans
Peak year
2007
25 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,871
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Raley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raley from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 174 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
Raley 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 Raley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raleys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Raley
The name Raley has its origins in the Old English language and can be traced back to the 10th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ræg," which meant "roe deer." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or surname for someone who was associated with hunting or had some connection to deer.
In ancient Anglo-Saxon texts, variations of the name, such as "Raelegh" and "Raleigh," can be found. These early spellings indicate that the name was in use among the Anglo-Saxons, who inhabited parts of present-day England and southern Scotland during the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raley can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Ralegh," referring to a place name in Somerset, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Raley. One of the most famous was Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), an English explorer, courtier, and writer who played a pivotal role in the colonization of North America. He is best known for establishing the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina and for introducing tobacco and potatoes to England.
Another prominent figure with the name Raley was Cavendish Weedon Raley (1821-1897), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Church of St. Michael in Cornhill.
In the literary world, Raley Husted Bell (1859-1924) was an American writer and journalist known for her novels and short stories depicting life in the American West.
Raley Grose (1909-1979) was an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns in the 1930s and 1940s.
More recently, Raley Smilin' Riley (1919-2008) was an American country music singer and guitarist who performed with various bands and on radio stations throughout the mid-20th century.
While the name Raley has its roots in Old English and has been present throughout various periods of history, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other names. However, its unique sound and connection to the natural world have contributed to its enduring appeal and usage over the centuries.
People
Raley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raley 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
Raley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 373 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raley 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 918,912 US residents.
Is Raley a common name?
We classify Raley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 378 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raley most popular?
The single biggest year for Raley was 2007, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raley is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Raley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raley 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.
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.