Riverlee
A feminine name of English origin meaning "meadow beside the river".
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the first name Riverlee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Riverlee today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Riverlee births was 2024 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Riverlee. 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
141
~ 1 in 2,430,882 Americans
Peak year
2024
27 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,984
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Riverlee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Riverlee from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 105 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
Riverlee 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 Riverlee 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 Riverlee
The name Riverlee is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in the rural areas of the American South, particularly in the Appalachian region. It is a combination of two English words, "river" and "lee," with the latter referring to a sheltered or protected area. The name's etymological roots suggest a connection to the natural landscape and a sense of tranquility and refuge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Riverlee can be traced back to a family in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in the 1820s. It is said that a young boy named Riverlee was born to a family living near the banks of a river, and his name was chosen to reflect the serene and peaceful setting of their homestead.
While the name Riverlee did not gain widespread popularity, it has been used sporadically throughout history. One notable figure was Riverlee Jenkins (1845-1912), a farmer and Civil War veteran from Virginia who gained local renown for his skill in horticulture and his dedication to preserving the region's agricultural traditions.
Another individual of historical significance was Riverlee Hawkins (1892-1977), a prominent educator and advocate for rural education in Kentucky. Hawkins dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for children in remote Appalachian communities, establishing several small schools and advocating for better funding and resources.
In the realm of literature, the name Riverlee appears in the works of the American novelist and poet, Robert Penn Warren. In his novel "All the King's Men," Warren introduces a character named Riverlee Wilburn, a young man from a rural background who becomes involved in the political machinations of the novel's central figure.
Additionally, there are records of a Riverlee Maddox (1910-1988), a celebrated bluegrass musician from North Carolina who helped preserve the region's rich musical heritage through his performances and recordings.
While not a common name in modern times, Riverlee has a rich history rooted in the cultural traditions and natural landscapes of the American South, particularly in the Appalachian region. Its unique blend of words and its connection to the natural world have made it a distinctive and evocative name throughout the centuries.
People
Riverlee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Riverlee 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
Riverlee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Riverlee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 141 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Riverlee 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 2,430,882 US residents.
Is Riverlee a common name?
We classify Riverlee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 142 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Riverlee most popular?
The single biggest year for Riverlee was 2024, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Riverlee is about 5 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 Riverlee in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Riverlee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Riverlee 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 Riverlee still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Riverlee 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 Riverlee 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 have Riverlee as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.