Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Raleigh

Raleigh

♀ Girl

Pronounced RAW-lee /ΛˆΙΉΙ”Λ.li/Medium

Meaning: Red clearingMedium

In 30 seconds: Raleigh is an English name meaning 'red clearing', used here for a girl. It comes from an Old English place name.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningRed clearing
U.S. rank (2024)#1916 β†˜ Falling
2024 U.S. births104 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 2,952

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 201619232024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Raleigh comes from English roots describing a red or reddish clearing in the land, the kind of descriptive place name that later became a surname and then a given name. Its sense is rooted in the landscape rather than in personal qualities. The spelling carries a tidy, old-fashioned weight.

The name has an open, two-syllable sound that wears well on a girl. English singer-songwriter and actor Raleigh Ritchie performs under it.

Did you know? Raleigh likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Raleigh β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • β˜…Raleigh Ritchie (b. 1990)
    Stage and recording name of English singer-songwriter and actor Jacob Anderson, who also plays Grey Worm in HBO's Game of Thrones.

If you like Raleigh…

Ryleeβ€” A name sharing Raleigh's '-leigh' clearing element and modern feel.
Hadleighβ€” An English place-name name with the same 'leigh' clearing root.
Oakleighβ€” A nature place-name sharing Raleigh's '-leigh' ending and origin.
Ashleyβ€” An English clearing place-name name in the same family as Raleigh.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Raleigh mean?

Raleigh is usually explained as meaning 'red clearing' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Raleigh?

It's commonly said RAW-lee /ΛˆΙΉΙ”Λ.li/.

Is Raleigh a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Raleigh is used as a girl name.

How popular is Raleigh?

In 2024, Raleigh ranked #1916 in the U.S. for girls, with 104 births recorded.