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The short answer
Rylee is a feminine English name that Behind the Name lists as a variant of Riley. Riley itself comes from a surname with two sources: as an Irish surname it is a variant of Reilly, and as an English surname it derives from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English. It is pronounced RY-lee. In the United States it ranked #137 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name lists Rylee simply as a "variant of Riley" with no separate meaning of its own. Riley, in turn, comes from a surname with two distinct sources: an Anglicized Irish form of Reilly, and an English surname from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English (behind-name-riley).
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old English (via Riley) | ryge + leah | rye clearing |
Competing or overlapping origins
- As with Riley, the Irish-surname line (an Anglicized form of Reilly) is a separate source from the English place-name line; Behind the Name does not distinguish which line a given Rylee traces to.
Popularity
Rylee ranked #137 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration).
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #137 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Ry
Variants: Riley, Ryleigh, Ryley, Rylie
Related names: Riley
What the name feels like
Rylee is a phonetic-spelling name, taking the established sound of Riley and rendering it with a distinctively modern -lee ending.
Style tags: phonetic spelling, modern, two syllables
Editorial interpretation: This style impression is editorial judgment, not linguistic fact.
If you like this name
Names that share Rylee's sound or its Riley-family shape.
Similar by sound
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Rylee mean?
Rylee is a variant of Riley, which comes from a surname meaning "rye clearing" (English) or an Anglicized form of Reilly (Irish).
Is Rylee a popular name?
Yes. Rylee ranked #137 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Is Rylee the same name as Riley?
Behind the Name treats Rylee as a variant spelling of Riley, sharing the same meaning and origin.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Rylee — supports variants, pronunciation.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Riley — supports etymology, history.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
