Rylee

Rylee is an Americanized respelling of Riley, both of which are considered unisex names. Riley comes from an old Irish given name, Raghallaigh (pronounced rah + hal + ee) which is derived from the Gaelic word “raghalach” meaning “courageous, valiant”. Riley is still a very common surname in all English speaking countries, but particularly in Ireland where it’s generally spelled “O’Reilly.” As a given name, Riley is not only considered a transferred use of a surname from Ireland, but it is also an English surname derived from a place name. In this case, the name comes from the Olde English words “ryge” (rye) and “leah” (wood, clearing). Ironically, Riley is not popular as a personal or given name in Ireland. However, it gets heavy usage in Scotland, England and Canada (as a boy’s name), but it’s the Australians and New Zealanders who are the biggest fans of Riley. Interestingly, the United States is the only country to favor the name Riley for girls over boys. The Rylee spelling gets respectable usage in the United States and Canada for girls (although it is used occasionally on American boys, as well).