Rylee

How to say it

/ˈraɪ.li/

What it means

Modern American feminine respelling of Riley, from the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh ('descendant of Raghallach,' 'courageous, valiant'). The -lee spelling tilts modern feminine; the Riley spelling stays unisex.

Rylee is a modern American feminine respelling of Riley, which traces back to the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh (anglicized as O'Reilly), 'descendant of Raghallach,' from a personal name often glossed as 'courageous, valiant.' The -lee spelling, alongside Rylie and Ryley, tilts the name modern feminine; the original Riley spelling stays firmly unisex. As a US given name Rylee surged with the broader -lee/-leigh feminine naming wave (alongside Hadley, Kinsley, Presley, Everleigh) and entered the top 200 in 2014. Common short: Ry.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Riley (traditional unisex), Rylee (-lee feminine), Rylie (-lie feminine), and Ryleigh (-leigh feminine) are all the same Irish name; spelling diversity itself feminizes the name.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Rylee Arnold American dancer, Dancing with the Stars (the modern -lee feminine spelling)

Spelling variants

• Riley
• Rylie
• Ryleigh

Names with the same feeling

• Riley Courageous, valiant
• Kinsley King's meadow
• Hadley Heather meadow
• Presley Priest's meadow
• Everleigh Ever-meadow

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