Rylei
A feminine variant of the masculine name Riley, possibly of Irish origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,333 living Americans carry the first name Rylei. It is a predominantly female name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Rylei today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rylei births was 2018 (87 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rylei. 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
- • Rylei is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 12 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 257,130 Americans
Peak year
2018
87 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2023 SSA rank
#3,205
Tracked since 1998
Gender
Gender distribution for Rylei
Rylei leans heavily female at 94.9% of total registrations, but 68 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rylei as a male name
- Ranked #13,782 in 2023
- 5 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2008 (8 births)
Rylei as a female name
- Ranked #3,205 in 2024
- 50 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (82 births)
Popularity
Rylei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rylei from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 710 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rylei remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rylei 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 Rylei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ryleis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Rylei, while Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rylei
The name Rylei is a modern invention that emerged in the late 20th century, likely inspired by the increasingly popular trend of combining traditional names or creating entirely new ones. It does not originate from any specific language or culture, but rather represents the creative expression of parents seeking a unique and distinctive name for their child.
While the exact origins and meaning behind Rylei are unclear, some linguists speculate that it may be a combination of the names Riley and Ley, or a variation of the name Rylee. Others suggest that it could be derived from the word "rye," a type of cereal grain, or the Old English word "ryge," meaning "rye."
Despite its relatively recent origin, Rylei has gained some recognition and popularity in various parts of the world. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the late 1990s, when it began appearing in birth records and census data, primarily in English-speaking countries.
Throughout history, there are a few notable individuals who have borne the name Rylei, although their impact and significance may be limited due to the name's modern nature:
1. Rylei Danae Huonker (born 2003) is an American actress and model known for her roles in television shows and commercials.
2. Rylei Kaitlyn McIntosh (born 2006) is a Canadian child actress who has appeared in films and television series.
3. Rylei Rae Vander Weide (born 2010) is an American child model and social media influencer.
4. Rylei Elyse Wright (born 2012) is an Australian child model and actress who has appeared in various commercials and print campaigns.
5. Rylei Isbell (born 2014) is an American child actress known for her role in the television series "The Righteous Gemstones."
As a relatively new name, Rylei has not yet had the opportunity to leave a significant historical footprint or appear in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. However, as it continues to gain popularity, it may become more widely recognized and embraced as a unique and distinctive name choice.
People
Rylei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rylei 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
Rylei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rylei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,333 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rylei 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 257,130 US residents.
Is Rylei a common name?
We classify Rylei as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,345 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rylei most popular?
The single biggest year for Rylei was 2018, when 87 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rylei is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rylei a female name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Rylei 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.