Reilyn
An invented feminine name of unknown meaning or origin.
Name Census estimates that about 188 living Americans carry the first name Reilyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reilyn today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reilyn births was 2011 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reilyn. 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
188
~ 1 in 1,823,161 Americans
Peak year
2011
18 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,894
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Reilyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reilyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 100 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Reilyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reilyn 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 Reilyn 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 Reilyn
The name Reilyn is a modern invention, likely inspired by the Irish name Reilynn or the Scottish name Railean, both of which derive from the Gaelic name Reginald. Reginald itself comes from the Germanic elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "wald" meaning "ruler." The name was widespread across medieval Europe, though its origins can be traced back to the Frankish Kingdom in the 6th century AD.
While Reilyn does not have a long historical lineage, its components have deep roots. The "Rei" portion may be inspired by the Latin word "rex" meaning "king," reflecting the name's regal connotations. Alternatively, it could stem from the Old English word "ræd" meaning "counsel" or "advice," which ties into the "counsel" element of Reginald.
Despite its relatively recent coinage, a few notable individuals have borne the name Reilyn. One such figure is Reilyn Petrie, a Canadian social media influencer and content creator born in 1996. Another is Reilyn Brown, an American author and poet who published her debut collection, "Indigo Child," in 2021.
Moving beyond contemporary references, the name Reilyn also bears a resemblance to the Old Norse name Ragnhildr, which means "counsel of battle." This connection could suggest a historical link to Norse mythology or Viking culture, though the name Reilyn itself does not appear in any ancient texts or records from this period.
While no historical figures of great renown have been identified with the name Reilyn, its components and potential influences span diverse cultures and time periods, from the Frankish Kingdom to medieval Europe, and from Norse mythology to modern literature and social media.
People
Reilyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reilyn 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
Reilyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reilyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 188 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reilyn 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 1,823,161 US residents.
Is Reilyn a common name?
We classify Reilyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 190 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reilyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Reilyn was 2011, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reilyn is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Reilyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Reilyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reilyn 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 Reilyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Reilyn 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 Reilyn 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Reilyn?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Reilyn at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.