Riley is a transferred use of an english surname derived from old english ryge 'rye' + lēah 'wood, clearing' The name riley holds both irish and english origins, derived from the old irish surname ó raghallaigh, where raghallach means valiant or courageous. in english, riley also signifies rye clearing, referring to a place where rye is cultivated. [1][2] it is also derived from the irish surname o'reilly, [3] which originated from the irish name raghallach, of unknown meaning.
Learn more about the meaning of the name riley, its origin, and popularity. Click through to find out more information about the name riley on babynames.com. Riley is a first name
The name riley is a girl's name of irish origin meaning rye clearing Riley—an upbeat, friendly surname name—is red hot for girls and still going strong for boys. As an irish surname it is a variant of reilly As an english surname it is derived from a place name meaning rye clearing in old english
Before 1980, this was an uncommon masculine name in america.
