How popular is the baby name Riley in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Riley.

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Popularity of the baby name Riley


Posts that mention the name Riley

Popular and unique baby names in Sonoma County (California), 2022

Flag of California
Flag of California

Sonoma County, located north of San Francisco, is part of California’s famous Wine Country region.

Last year, Sonoma welcomed 4,583 babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Camila and Mateo.

Here are Sonoma’s top 50+ girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Camila, 28 baby girls
  2. Emma, 25
  3. Sofia, 22
  4. Isabella, 21 (tie)
  5. Mia, 21 (tie)
  6. Amelia, 20
  7. Luna, 18
  8. Elizabeth, 17 (tie)
  9. Olivia, 17 (tie)
  10. Charlotte, 15 (tie)
  11. Penelope, 15 (tie)
  12. Maya, 14
  13. Evelyn, 13 (4-way tie)
  14. Gianna, 13 (4-way tie)
  15. Natalie, 13 (4-way tie)
  16. Riley, 13 (4-way tie)
  17. Ella, 12 (6-way tie)
  18. Emily, 12 (6-way tie)
  19. Nora, 12 (6-way tie)
  20. Ruby, 12 (6-way tie)
  21. Samantha, 12 (6-way tie)
  22. Sophia, 12 (6-way tie)
  23. Aria, 11 (4-way tie)
  24. Mila, 11 (4-way tie)
  25. Scarlett, 11 (4-way tie)
  26. Zoey, 11 (4-way tie)
  27. Catalina, 10 (5-way tie)
  28. Victoria, 10 (5-way tie)
  29. Violet, 10 (5-way tie)
  30. Ximena, 10 (5-way tie)
  31. ???, 10 (5-way tie)
    • The dataset included a blank entry with 10 babies. Perhaps the name was accidentally deleted, or this entry represents 10 Sonoma babies that have yet to be named…?
  32. Abigail, 9 (6-way tie)
  33. Audrey, 9 (6-way tie)
  34. Ava, 9 (6-way tie)
  35. Avery, 9 (6-way tie)
  36. Hazel, 9 (6-way tie)
  37. Lucia, 9 (6-way tie)
  38. Chloe, 8 (5-way tie)
  39. Layla, 8 (5-way tie)
  40. Natalia, 8 (5-way tie)
  41. Piper, 8 (5-way tie)
  42. Zoe, 8 (5-way tie)
  43. Aaliyah, 7 (17-way tie)
  44. Alina, 7 (17-way tie)
  45. Athena, 7 (17-way tie)
  46. Bella, 7 (17-way tie)
  47. Cora, 7 (17-way tie)
  48. Daisy, 7 (17-way tie)
  49. Eleanor, 7 (17-way tie)
  50. Eliana, 7 (17-way tie)
  51. Ellie, 7 (17-way tie)
  52. Genesis, 7 (17-way tie)
  53. Harper, 7 (17-way tie)
  54. Isla, 7 (17-way tie)
  55. June, 7 (17-way tie)
  56. Kira, 7 (17-way tie)
  57. Madison, 7 (17-way tie)
  58. Sadie, 7 (17-way tie)
  59. Willow, 7 (17-way tie)

Boy Names

  1. Mateo, 26 baby boys
  2. Liam, 24
  3. Henry, 20 (3-way tie)
  4. Hudson, 20 (3-way tie)
  5. Santiago, 20 (3-way tie)
  6. Noah, 19 (tie)
  7. Sebastian, 19 (tie)
  8. Oliver, 17
  9. Aiden, 16 (3-way tie)
  10. Daniel, 16 (3-way tie)
  11. Lucas, 16 (3-way tie)
  12. James, 15 (4-way tie)
  13. Levi, 15 (4-way tie)
  14. Theodore, 15 (4-way tie)
  15. Wyatt, 15 (4-way tie)
  16. Angel, 14 (4-way tie)
  17. Isaac, 14 (4-way tie)
  18. Jack, 14 (4-way tie)
  19. Jackson, 14 (4-way tie)
  20. Damian, 13 (7-way tie)
  21. Emiliano, 13 (7-way tie)
  22. Emilio, 13 (7-way tie)
  23. Ian, 13( 7-way tie)
  24. Juan, 13 (7-way tie)
  25. Julian, 13 (7-way tie)
  26. Luca, 13 (7-way tie)
  27. Adrian, 12 (8-way tie)
  28. Adriel, 12 (8-way tie)
  29. Jayden, 12 (8-way tie)
  30. Jose, 12 (8-way tie)
  31. Leo, 12 (8-way tie)
  32. Mason, 12 (8-way tie)
  33. Theo, 12 (8-way tie)
  34. William, 12 (8-way tie)
  35. Aaron, 11 (6-way tie)
  36. Anthony, 11 (6-way tie)
  37. Cameron, 11 (6-way tie)
  38. Logan, 11 (6-way tie)
  39. Michael, 11 (6-way tie)
  40. Roman, 11 (6-way tie)
  41. Christopher, 10 (6-way tie)
  42. Kai, 10 (6-way tie)
  43. Lorenzo, 10 (6-way tie)
  44. Miguel, 10 (6-way tie)
  45. Owen, 10 (6-way tie)
  46. Quinn, 10 (6-way tie)
  47. Axel, 9 (9-way tie)
  48. Caleb, 9 (9-way tie)
  49. Dominic, 9 (9-way tie)
  50. Ezekiel, 9 (9-way tie)
  51. Felix, 9 (9-way tie)
  52. Gabriel, 9 (9-way tie)
  53. Maverick, 9 (9-way tie)
  54. Rowan, 9 (9-way tie)
  55. Samuel, 9 (9-way tie)

Lower down on the list, we find 3 boys named Oslo and 2 named Kawika (the Hawaiian form of David).

And here’s a sampling of the many names that were bestowed just once in Sonoma last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Alofa, Baylor, Calgary, Dechen, Etsai, Fleury, Gabbanelli, Heather, Inayaat, Josiebelle, Ka Iulani, Liska, Morelia, Nasira, Oa, Pejuta, Quetzal, Riviera, Salanieta, Tenley, Unity, Vylana, Wendy, Yubicela, ZoaAimeson, Braulio, Coatney, Daizel, Ekansh, Filberto, Gadiel, Helios, Iroh, Javelin, Kaleo, Lars, Mayaken, Nikolai, Osoleo, Pedro, Quentin, Reverand, Sterling, Torrello, Ulices, Voyager, Wolfie, Yonik, Zayjoun

Some possible explanations/influences for a few of the above:

  • Alofa means “love” in Samoan.
  • Dechen means “great bliss” in Tibetan.
  • Etsai means “devil” in Basque.
  • Iroh is a character from the animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
  • Javelin originally referred to a light spear used in hunting, but today it’s more closely linked to either the Olympic sport or the missile used by the military.
  • Ka Iulani could be a reference to Hawaii’s last heir apparent, Princess Ka’iulani.
  • Kaleo means “the voice” or “the sound” in Hawaiian. (It’s also the name of an Icelandic rock band.)
  • Pejuta means “medicine” in Lakota.
  • Quetzal refers to the quetzal bird.

P.S. Just for fun, here are some of the names that have only popped up a single time in Sonoma’s baby name data, which goes back to the 1800s.

  • 2013: Ethereal, Meadowlark
  • 2012: Six
  • 2011: Four, Aubergine
  • 2009: Limber, Nightlynn, Pepperwood
  • 2008: Honeymoon, Teancum
  • 2006: Luminescence, Memphis Dreamwolf, Ozomatli, Skylarshine
    • Ozomatli is the Nahuatl word for “monkey.” (It’s also the name of a Grammy-winning Latin Rock band from Los Angeles.)
  • 2000: Ocean Wind, Millennium, Millennium Christopher
  • 1999: Chrysler
  • 1997: Return
  • 1996: Riverwind
  • 1995: Brazil, Cedar River, Talisman
  • 1994: Namibia, Northern
  • 1993: Tiffani Amber, Vancouver
  • 1992: Sunwater
  • 1991: Modesto, Sparkles
  • 1988: Smokey
  • 1985: Juror, Redcloud
  • 1984: Little Fawn
  • 1982: Otineb
    • Otineb is “Benito” spelled backwards
  • 1981: Connemara
  • 1976: Sonrisa
  • 1975: Little Star
  • 1974: Buffalo, Evenstar, Kipkino
  • 1973: Apricot, Coriander, Summertime
  • 1970: Starfinder
  • 1965: Honey Bee
  • 1958: Zebra
  • 1951: Starlite
  • 1937: Grape
    • I appreciate that a baby born in a wine-making region was named “Grape” :)
  • 1921: Senator
  • 1915: Sequestre
  • 1914: Eldorado

Sonoma’s two-hit wonder names include Strawberry (1971, 1973) and Fairlight (1974, 1976).

Sources: Sonoma County Baby Names | Open Data | Sonoma County, Sonoma County Births by Year | Open Data | Sonoma County, Wiktionary, Online Nahuatl Dictionary

Image: Adapted from Flag of California (public domain)

Popular baby names in Virginia, 2022

Flag of Virginia
Flag of Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia, located on the east coast of the United States, is the 12th most populous state in the country.

Last year, Virginia welcomed 95,583 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Charlotte and Noah, according to the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records.

Here are Virginia’s top 15 girl names and top 15 boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Charlotte
  2. Olivia
  3. Ava
  4. Amelia
  5. Emma
  6. Harper
  7. Evelyn
  8. Eleanor
  9. Sophia
  10. Elizabeth
  11. Lilly
  12. Abigail
  13. Riley
  14. Nora
  15. Chloe

Boy Names

  1. Noah
  2. James
  3. Liam
  4. William
  5. Henry
  6. Theodore
  7. Oliver
  8. Elijah
  9. Levi
  10. Benjamin
  11. Owen
  12. John
  13. Jack
  14. Asher
  15. Lucas

…But that’s not all!

The state also revealed the top names among the state’ four largest ethnic groups: White, Black, Hispanic and Asian. (According to the most recent CDC data, from 2020, 53.9% of Virginia’s babies were born to non-Hispanic White mothers, 20.7% to Black mothers, 15.6% to Hispanic mothers, and 7.3% to Asian mothers.)

These were the top 5 girl names and 5 boy names among Virginia’s White babies:

Girl names, WhiteBoy names, White
1. Charlotte
2. Olivia
3. Amelia
4. Harper
5. Emma		1. William
2. Henry
3. James
4. Theodore
5. Oliver

These were the top 5 girl names and 5 boy names among Virginia’s Black babies:

Girl names, BlackBoy names, Black
1. Ava
2. Naomi
3. Nova
4. Zuri
5. Leilani		1. Noah
2. Elijah
3. Josiah
4. Amir
5. Micah

These were the top 5 girl names and 5 boy names among Virginia’s Hispanic babies:

Girl names, HispanicBoy names, Hispanic
1. Mia
2. Camila
3. Isabella
4. Emma
5. Genesis		1. Liam
2. Mateo
3. Dylan
4. Noah
5. Lucas

And, finally, these were the top 5 girl names and 5 boy names among Virginia’s Asian babies:

Girl names, AsianBoy names, Asian
1. Sophia
2. Chloe
3. Olivia
4. Mia
5. Charlotte		1. Noah
2. Muhammad
3. Liam
4. Kai
5. Henry

Nearly a decade ago we looked at Virginia’s 2013 rankings, which also included a breakdown of usage by ethnic group.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Virginia (public domain)

Popular and unique baby names in Sonoma County (California), 2021

Flag of California
Flag of California

According to the government of Sonoma, California, the most popular baby names in the county last year were Mia and Mateo.

Here are Sonoma’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Mia, 29 baby girls
  2. Olivia, 26
  3. Isabella, 24
  4. Luca, 22
  5. Luna, 21
  6. Gianna, 18
  7. Aurora, 17 (tie)
  8. Emma, 17 (tie)
  9. Eliana, 16 (tie)
  10. Riley, 16 (tie)
  11. Camila, 15
  12. Ava, 14 (4-way tie)
  13. Emilia, 14 (4-way tie)
  14. Madison, 14 (4-way tie)
  15. Zoe, 14 (4-way tie)
  16. Amelia, 13 (4-way tie)
  17. Charlotte, 13 (4-way tie)
  18. Chloe, 13 (4-way tie)
  19. Evelyn, 13 (4-way tie)
  20. Eleanor, 12 (6-way tie)
  21. Harper, 12 (6-way tie)
  22. Isla, 12 (6-way tie)
  23. Maya, 12 (6-way tie)
  24. Mila, 12 (6-way tie)
  25. Sofia, 12 (6-way tie)
  26. Hazel, 11 (4-way tie)
  27. Kennedy, 11 (4-way tie)
  28. Penelope, 11 (4-way tie)
  29. Quinn, 11 (4-way tie)
  30. Liliana, 10 (4-way tie)
  31. Scarlett, 10 (4-way tie)
  32. Violet, 10 (4-way tie)
  33. Ximena, 10 (4-way tie)
  34. Aria, 9 (4-way tie)
  35. Stella, 9 (4-way tie)
  36. Valentina, 9 (4-way tie)
  37. Zoey, 9 (4-way tie)
  38. Alina, 8 (5-way tie)
  39. Avery, 8 (5-way tie)
  40. Cora, 8 (5-way tie)
  41. Elena, 8 (5-way tie)
  42. Remi, 8 (5-way tie)
  43. Ayla, 7 (17-way tie)
  44. Delilah, 7 (17-way tie)
  45. Ella, 7 (17-way tie)
  46. Georgia, 7 (17-way tie)
  47. Grace, 7 (17-way tie)
  48. Josephine, 7 (17-way tie)
  49. Layla, 7 (17-way tie)
  50. Leila, 7 (17-way tie)
  51. Lillian, 7 (17-way tie)
  52. Lucia, 7 (17-way tie)
  53. Mackenzie, 7 (17-way tie)
  54. Madelyn, 7 (17-way tie)
  55. Melanie, 7 (17-way tie)
  56. Naomi, 7 (17-way tie)
  57. Sophia, 7 (17-way tie)
  58. Victoria, 7 (17-way tie)
  59. Vivian, 7 (17-way tie)

Boy Names

  1. Mateo, 38 baby boys
  2. Liam, 29
  3. Noah, 28
  4. James, 23
  5. Oliver, 22
  6. Benjamin, 21
  7. Lucas, 19 (tie)
  8. Sebastian, 19 (tie)
  9. Henry, 17 (4-way tie)
  10. Jack, 17 (4-way tie)
  11. Jacob, 17 (4-way tie)
  12. Julian, 17 (4-way tie)
  13. Hudson, 16 (3-way tie)
  14. Joseph, 16 (3-way tie)
  15. Santiago, 16 (3-way tie)
  16. Gabriel, 15 (tie)
  17. Theodore, 15 (tie)
  18. Daniel, 14 (4-way tie)
  19. Dylan, 14 (4-way tie)
  20. Elijah, 14 (4-way tie)
  21. Samuel, 14 (4-way tie)
  22. Angel, 13 (3-way tie)
  23. Dominic, 13 (3-way tie)
  24. Miles, 13 (3-way tie)
  25. Alexander, 12 (7-way tie)
  26. Anthony, 12 (7-way tie)
  27. Leo, 12 (7-way tie)
  28. Logan, 12 (7-way tie)
  29. Owen, 12 (7-way tie)
  30. River, 12 (7-way tie)
  31. William, 12 (7-way tie)
  32. Adrian, 11 (6-way tie)
  33. David, 11 (6-way tie)
  34. Ethan, 11 (6-way tie)
  35. Jackson, 11 (6-way tie)
  36. Jayden, 11 (6-way tie)
  37. Maverick, 11 (6-way tie)
  38. Asher, 10 (9-way tie)
  39. Beau, 10 (9-way tie)
  40. Elias, 10 (9-way tie)
  41. Hunter, 10 (9-way tie)
  42. Jesus, 10 (9-way tie)
  43. Jose, 10 (9-way tie)
  44. Mason, 10 (9-way tie)
  45. Parker, 10 (9-way tie)
  46. Wyatt, 10 (9-way tie)
  47. Damian, 9 (8-way tie)
  48. Emiliano, 9 (8-way tie)
  49. Ezekiel, 9 (8-way tie)
  50. Finn, 9 (8-way tie)
  51. Giovanni, 9 (8-way tie)
  52. Kai, 9 (8-way tie)
  53. Matias, 9 (8-way tie)
  54. Nicholas, 9 (8-way tie)

And here are some of the baby names that were bestowed just once in Sonoma last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Ahsoka, Bowyn, Cordova, Dutton, Eivissa, Fiadh, Galdina, Hanalie, Indira, Jinora, Ketsana, Levaleah, Metzli, Nebula, Odette, Peninaiaiga, Quinnie, Rockella, Sersha, Tallulah, Umi, Vrianna, Wren, Yadelene, ZeyaAxis, Beaudin, Codiak, Delmar, Elymus, Fletcher, Gibb, Herbert, Ilumi, Jonael, Kalais, Lesinali, Maimonides, Neithan, Ozan, Perrin, Ratu, Samarth, Tonalli, Usyk, Ville, Waimea, Xavien, Yamikani, Zabdiel

Some thoughts on a few of the above…

  • Ahsoka is a character from the Star Wars universe.
  • Dutton is the surname of the family featured on the TV show Yellowstone.
  • Sersha looks like a phonetic rendering of Saoirse.
  • Maimonides refers to Moses ben Maimon, a medieval Jewish philosopher.
  • Tonalli is a Nahuatl word that refers to the warmth of the sun (among other things).

The name Sonoma was also given to a single Sonoma County baby in 2021. :)

Finally, here are Sonoma’s 2020 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Source: Sonoma County Baby Names

Image: Adapted from Flag of California (public domain)

Top first letters of baby names in the U.S., 2021

Which first letters were the most and least popular for U.S. baby names in 2021?

Top first letters for girl names: A, E, M

For baby girls, the most-used first letter was A, followed by E and M. The least-used first letter was U.

Graph of first letter popularity for U.S. baby girl names, 2021

The most popular girl names per letter were…

  • A-names (over 273,100 baby girls): Amelia, Ava, Abigail, Avery, Aria, Aurora
  • B-names (over 49,300): Brooklyn, Bella, Brielle, Blakely, Bailey, Brianna
  • C-names (over 93,100): Charlotte, Camila, Chloe, Claire, Caroline, Cora
  • D-names (over 40,300): Delilah, Daisy, Diana, Daniela, Delaney, Dakota
  • E-names (over 155,300): Emma, Evelyn, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Ella, Emily
  • F-names (over 16,500): Freya, Faith, Finley, Fiona, Fatima, Frances
  • G-names (over 42,900): Gianna, Grace, Genesis, Gabriella, Genevieve, Georgia
  • H-names (over 54,900): Harper, Hazel, Hannah, Hailey, Hadley, Harmony
  • I-names (over 44,100): Isabella, Isla, Ivy, Iris, Isabelle, Isabel
  • J-names (over 73,500): Josephine, Jade, Julia, Josie, Juniper, Jasmine
  • K-names (over 89,100): Kinsley, Kennedy, Kaylee, Kehlani, Katherine, Kylie
  • L-names (over 115,300): Luna, Layla, Lily, Leah, Lucy, Lillian
  • M-names (over 143,500): Mia, Mila, Madison, Maya, Madelyn, Madeline
  • N-names (over 58,800): Nora, Nova, Naomi, Natalie, Natalia, Nevaeh
  • O-names (over 30,200): Olivia, Olive, Oakley, Oaklynn, Octavia, Ophelia
  • P-names (over 37,600): Penelope, Paisley, Piper, Peyton, Parker, Presley
  • Q-names (over 4,100): Quinn, Quincy, Queen, Quinley, Quetzalli, Quinnley
  • R-names (over 74,800): Riley, Ruby, Rylee, Raelynn, Rose, Remi
  • S-names (over 116,400): Sophia, Sofia, Scarlett, Stella, Savannah, Skylar
  • T-names (over 24,200): Taylor, Teagan, Trinity, Tatum, Tessa, Talia
  • U-names (over 600): Unique, Uma, Ulani, Una, Unknown, Unity
  • V-names (over 32,400): Violet, Victoria, Valentina, Vivian, Valerie, Valeria
  • W-names (over 14,700): Willow, Wren, Winter, Wynter, Willa, Wrenley
  • X-names (over 4,500): Ximena, Xiomara, Xyla, Xena, Xochitl, Xitlali
  • Y-names (over 7,600): Yaretzi, Yara, Yareli, Yasmin, Yamileth, Yuna
  • Z-names (over 29,100): Zoey, Zoe, Zuri, Zara, Zariah, Zelda

Top first letters for boy names: J, A, L

For baby boys, the most-used first letter was J, followed by A and L. The least-used first letter was U.

Graph of first letter popularity for U.S. baby boy names, 2021

The most popular boy names per letter were…

  • A-names (over 178,600 baby boys): Alexander, Asher, Aiden, Anthony, Andrew, Adrian
  • B-names (over 86,600): Benjamin, Brooks, Bennett, Beau, Bryson, Brayden
  • C-names (over 123,000): Carter, Charles, Caleb, Christopher, Cameron, Cooper
  • D-names (over 85,000): Daniel, David, Dylan, Dominic, Declan, Damian
  • E-names (over 108,700): Elijah, Ethan, Ezra, Elias, Ezekiel, Eli
  • F-names (over 20,500): Finn, Felix, Finley, Francisco, Fernando, Finnegan
  • G-names (over 53,500): Grayson, Gabriel, Greyson, Gael, Giovanni, George
  • H-names (over 50,000): Henry, Hudson, Hunter, Harrison, Hayden, Hayes
  • I-names (over 31,500): Isaac, Isaiah, Ian, Ivan, Israel, Ismael
  • J-names (over 202,800): James, Jack, Jackson, Jacob, John, Joseph
  • K-names (over 93,400): Kai, Kayden, Kingston, Kaiden, Kevin, King
  • L-names (over 133,400): Liam, Lucas, Levi, Logan, Leo, Luke
  • M-names (over 126,700): Mateo, Michael, Mason, Matthew, Maverick, Miles
  • N-names (over 57,400): Noah, Nathan, Nolan, Nicholas, Nathaniel, Nicolas
  • O-names (over 38,800): Oliver, Owen, Oscar, Omar, Orion, Odin
  • P-names (over 23,700): Parker, Patrick, Peter, Preston, Phoenix, Paxton
  • Q-names (over 3,100): Quinn, Quentin, Quincy, Quinton, Quintin, Quinten
  • R-names (over 82,800): Ryan, Roman, Robert, Rowan, River, Ryder
  • S-names (over 70,300): Sebastian, Samuel, Santiago, Silas, Sawyer, Steven
  • T-names (over 59,200): Theodore, Thomas, Thiago, Theo, Tyler, Tucker
  • U-names (over 2,500): Uriel, Uriah, Ulises, Ulysses, Uziel, Umar
  • V-names (over 11,000): Vincent, Victor, Valentino, Vincenzo, Vicente, Vihaan
  • W-names (over 49,100): William, Wyatt, Waylon, Wesley, Weston, Walker
  • X-names (over 7,200): Xavier, Xander, Xzavier, Xavion, Xavien, Xavian
  • Y-names (over 8,200): Yusuf, Yosef, Yehuda, Yousef, Yahir, Yisroel
  • Z-names (over 26,900): Zion, Zachary, Zayden, Zane, Zayn, Zander