Ralyn
A feminine name of unknown origin possibly meaning "small meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 172 living Americans carry the first name Ralyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ralyn today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ralyn births was 2021 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ralyn. 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
172
~ 1 in 1,992,758 Americans
Peak year
2021
12 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,839
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Ralyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ralyn from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 56 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ralyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ralyn 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 Ralyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ralyn
The name Ralyn is a modern variant of the traditional name Raleigh, which has its origins in the Old English language. The name Raleigh is derived from the Old English words "ra" meaning "roe deer" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." It is believed that the name was originally a place name referring to a meadow or clearing where roe deer were found.
During the Middle Ages, the name Raleigh gained popularity in England, particularly in the south-eastern regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Raueleia" in reference to a place in Essex.
In the 13th century, the name Raleigh was associated with a prominent English family, the Raleighs of Devon. Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), an English writer, poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer, was perhaps the most famous bearer of this name during the Elizabethan era. He played a significant role in the English colonization of North America and was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure with the name Ralyn was Ralyn Eaton (1920-2001), an American artist and painter known for her abstract expressionist works. Her paintings were exhibited in prestigious galleries across the United States, and she is recognized for her contributions to the development of abstract expressionism in the mid-20th century.
In literature, the name Ralyn appears in the novel "The Stone Dancer" by British author David Huddle, published in 1994. The novel features a character named Ralyn Meadows, who plays a pivotal role in the story's exploration of family dynamics and personal growth.
While the name Ralyn is not as common as its traditional counterpart Raleigh, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a unique and distinctive name choice. The name's origins in Old English and its connection to the natural world, as well as its historical associations with notable figures, contribute to its enduring appeal.
People
Ralyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ralyn 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
Ralyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ralyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 172 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ralyn 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 1,992,758 US residents.
Is Ralyn a common name?
We classify Ralyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 175 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ralyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Ralyn was 2021, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ralyn is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ralyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ralyn 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.