Rilei
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a spelling variation of Riley.
Name Census estimates that about 80 living Americans carry the first name Rilei. It is a predominantly female name (93.8% of registrations). The average person named Rilei today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rilei births was 2009 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rilei. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rilei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
80
~ 1 in 4,284,429 Americans
Peak year
2009
12 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,635
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Rilei
Rilei leans heavily female at 93.8% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rilei as a male name
- Ranked #13,635 in 2014
- 5 male births in 2014
- Peak: 2014 (5 births)
Rilei as a female name
- Ranked #17,920 in 2017
- 5 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2009 (12 births)
Popularity
Rilei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rilei from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 44 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rilei 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 Rilei 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 Rilei
The name Rilei has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization that flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. It is believed to be a variant of the name Rillus, which was derived from the Etruscan word "rile," meaning "to shine" or "to radiate." The Etruscans were a highly advanced society known for their art, architecture, and cultural achievements, and they left a lasting impact on the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rilei can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who lived during the 1st century BC. He mentioned a man named Rilei who was a prominent figure in the Etruscan city of Veii during the time of the Roman-Etruscan wars. Unfortunately, not much is known about this individual beyond the historical reference.
During the Middle Ages, the name Rilei seems to have fallen out of use, but it resurfaced in the Renaissance period. One notable bearer of the name was Rilei Fiammingo, an Italian painter born in 1510 in the city of Genoa. He was known for his vibrant and detailed depictions of religious scenes and portraits of wealthy patrons.
In the 17th century, a man named Rilei Vespucci gained recognition as a skilled navigator and explorer. Born in Florence in 1612, he was a distant relative of the famous Amerigo Vespucci and is said to have contributed to the mapping of the coastlines of South America during his voyages.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Rilei Raimondi was an Italian sculptor and artist born in 1818 in the city of Milan. He is best known for his intricate marble sculptures and bas-reliefs that adorned many churches and public buildings throughout Italy.
Another notable figure with the name Rilei was Rilei Mercadante, an Italian composer and conductor who lived from 1835 to 1901. He was renowned for his operas and orchestral works, and his compositions were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
While the name Rilei may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich historical significance and connection to the ancient Etruscan civilization and the cultural achievements of the Italian Renaissance. Its meaning and association with radiance and shining have endured throughout the centuries, making it a unique and intriguing choice for a given name.
People
Rilei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rilei 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
Rilei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rilei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 80 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rilei 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 4,284,429 US residents.
Is Rilei a common name?
We classify Rilei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rilei most popular?
The single biggest year for Rilei was 2009, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rilei is about 16 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 Rilei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rilei a female name?
Yes, 93.8% of people registered as Rilei 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 Rilei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rilei 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 Rilei 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 many people share the name Rilei?
Want to know how many people have the name Rilei? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.