Riley

• From Ryley in Lancashire, from Old English ryge (“rye”) + leah (“clearing, meadow”). Equivalent to rye +‎ -ley (“lea”).
• A variant of Reilly, from Irish Ó Raghallaigh (see O'Reilly).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪ.li/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪli
• Homophones: wryly, wrylie

Riley (countable and uncountable, plural Rileys)

1. (countable) A surname.
   • 2024 November 20, Eric Levenson, Rebekah Riess and Holly Yan, “November 20, 2024 - Judge sentences Laken Riley’s murderer to life in prison”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     Ibarra also deprived Riley of oxygen long enough to cause wounds and “intended to kill her,” Ross said.

   1. A surname from Irish of Irish origin, variant of Reilly.
   2. An English habitational surname from Old English, from Ryley in Lancashire (see Etymology above).
2. (countable) A unisex given name.
   1. A male given name transferred from the surname, of 19th century and later usage.
   2. A female given name from surname, of 1990s and later usage.
3. A placename
   1. A town in Riley Township, Vigo County, Indiana, United States.
   2. A town in Center Township, Hancock County, Indiana, United States.
   3. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Riley Township.
   4. A crater in Niobe Planitia, Venus.
   5. Ellipsis of Riley County.
   6. Ellipsis of Riley Creek.
4. A manufacturer of British motorcars (1907-1969) named after William Riley Jr.

• Reily, Rylie, lyrie