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Reilly

♀ Girl

Pronounced RYE-lee /ˈɹaɪ.li/Medium

Meaning: UnknownMedium

In 30 seconds: Reilly is an English name whose meaning has not been reliably pinned down. It carries a friendly, surname-style sound that has crossed over into use as a girl's first name.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningUnknown
U.S. rank (2024)#2730 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births63 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1998
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,467

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199819782024

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

History & Origin

Reilly comes to us through English usage, but its underlying meaning is genuinely unknown. Rather than guess, it is honest to say the sense behind the name simply has not been established. What is clear is its place in the family of -ly endings that read as warm and approachable.

The bouncy two-syllable rhythm and the bright -ly ending give Reilly an easygoing, modern feel that works equally well as a nickname-style first name.

Did you know? Reilly 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 - Reilly — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Reilly…

Reese— Another surname-turned-given-name with the same crisp, unisex English feel.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Reilly mean?

Reilly is usually explained as meaning 'unknown' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Reilly?

It's commonly said RYE-lee /ˈɹaɪ.li/.

Is Reilly a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Reilly?

In 2024, Reilly ranked #2730 in the U.S. for girls, with 63 births recorded.