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Rawleigh
How to Pronounce Rawleigh
Pronounced RAW-lee /ΛrΙΛ.li/Low
Meaning: Rawleigh is a spelling variant of Raleigh, an English surname taken from a place name built on Old English ra, 'roe-deer,' and leah, 'wood, clearing.' The whole means roughly 'roe-deer clearing.' As a given name it followed the surname into first-name use in America.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Rawleigh descends from the English place-and-surname Raleigh, whose Old English parts mean 'roe-deer clearing.' The name is best known through the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, and the Rawleigh variant carried the same sound with a homespun American spelling.
As a first name Rawleigh was always scarce, reaching a small high in the early nineteen-twenties before fading. A boy named Rawleigh then would belong to the great-grandparent generation today, and the name survives mostly as a surname and a brand memory rather than a living given name.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Rawleigh mean?
It is a variant of Raleigh, an English place and surname meaning 'roe-deer clearing,' from Old English ra and leah.
How do you pronounce Rawleigh?
It is said RAW-lee /ΛrΙΛ.li/ - two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Rawleigh a boy or girl name?
Rawleigh is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Rawleigh?
It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its early-century high, and it never became common.