Rylee

♂ Boy

Pronounced RY-lee /ˈɹaɪ.li/Medium

Meaning: Respelling of Riley, from the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh, of uncertain meaning; also linked to Old English 'rye clearing'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Rylee is a respelling of Riley, an Irish surname name of uncertain meaning that is also linked to an Old English 'rye clearing'.

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Origin MediumIrish, English

MeaningRespelling of Riley, from the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh, of uncertain meaning; also linked to Old English 'rye clearing'.

U.S. rank (2025)#1885 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births84 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2010

Total births (all-time)≈ 5,545

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Rylee reworks the spelling of Riley, which comes from the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh. The original meaning of that surname is not settled, and a separate Old English source meaning 'rye clearing' is also cited, so the sense is genuinely disputed. What the name reliably offers is its sound and its Irish surname heritage rather than a single fixed meaning.

Rylee has a light, casual two-syllable sound that has carried it into modern unisex use. It sits among a cluster of spellings including Riley, Ryleigh, and Rylie.

Did you know? Rylee is a spelling variant of Riley, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'rye clearing' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Rylee — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

RileyRyleighRyleyRylie

Nicknames

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If you like Rylee…

Ryleigh— Another spelling of the same name, listed in Rylee's variations.

Rylie— A further spelling variation sharing Rylee's sound and origin.

Oaklee— a similarly popular pick

Jaycee— echoes that soft -ee sound

Bodee— the same modern feel

Explore names like Rylee

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Rylee mean?

Rylee is usually explained as meaning 'rye clearing' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Rylee?

It's commonly said RY-lee /ˈɹaɪ.li/.

Is Rylee a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Rylee?

In 2024, Rylee ranked #1691 in the U.S. for boys, with 99 births recorded.