Riley is a surname of English origin, as well as an Anglicized version of an Irish surname.
The name has the meaning "rye clearing", or is from one of several placenames, including High Riley in Accrington , Lancashire, and in Devon .[ 1] [ 2] In the United Kingdom Census 1881 , more than a third of Rileys were in Lancashire; it was most prevalent in the east of the county and over the boundary into the Calder Valley in Yorkshire, and the name could be found in these areas from the 13th century.[ 3] The name is also an Anglicized version of the Irish surname O'Reilly .[ 1] This is derived from the first name Raghallach ; the Gaelic version of the surname, Ó Raghallaigh , is Irish for 'grandson (or descendant) of Raghallach '.
People with the surname [ edit ]
Aaron Riley (born 1980), American mixed martial artist
Adam Riley (born 1992), English cricketer
Adrian Riley (born 1971), British graphic designer
Aidan Riley (born 1991), Australian rules footballer
Al Riley (born 1953), American politician
Alan Incell Riley (1897–1960), British Air Force pilot
Alban Riley (1844–1914), Australian politician
Ali Riley (born 1987), American-New Zealand footballer
Alice Riley (1860–1955), American author
Alexander Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Alrick Riley (born 1964), English television director
Amber Riley (born 1986), American actress and singer
Andrea Riley (born 1988), American basketball player
Andrew Riley (born 1988), Jamaican sprinter
Andy Riley (born 1970), British writer and cartoonist
Angela R. Riley , American jurist
Antonio R. Riley (born 1963), American politician
Arthur Riley (1903–1984), South African footballer
Arthur Dewhurst Riley (1860–1929), English-New Zealand artist
Ashley Riley (born 1995), Bahamian sprinter
Atsuro Riley , American writer
Audrey Riley , English cellist
Austin Riley (born 1997), American baseball player
Avon Riley (1958–2020), American football player
Barbara Riley , American civil servant
Barbra Riley (born 1949), American photographer
Bennet C. Riley (1790–1853), American politician
Bernard Riley (born 1981), American football player
Bill Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Ben Riley (1933–2017), American jazz drummer
Ben Riley (politician) (1866–1946), British politician
Bernard Riley (born 1981), American football player
Blair Riley (born 1985), Canadian ice hockey player
Bob Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Boots Riley (born 1971), American vocalist
Brad Riley (born 1974), New Zealand basketball player
Brett Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Brian Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Bridget Riley (born 1931), British op-art painter
Bridgett Riley (born 1973), American boxer
Brittany Riley (born 1986), American hammer thrower
Bud Riley (1925–2012), American football coach
Burke Riley (1914–2006), American state legislator
Camden Riley (born 1996), American soccer player
Catherine Riley (1947–2024), American politician
Celeste Riley (born 1960), American politician
Chad Riley , American soccer coach
Chantel Riley , Jamaican-Canadian actress
Charles Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Charlotte Riley (born 1981), English actress
Cheryl Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Chris Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Christopher Riley (born 1967), English writer and film maker
Chuck Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Claude Riley (born 1960), American basketball player
Clay Riley , American politician
Clement A. Riley (1905–1988), American politician
Cliff Riley (born 1927), Australian rules footballer
Corinne Boyd Riley (1893–1979), American politician
Curtis Riley (born 1992), American football player
Daniel Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
David Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Davis Riley (born 1996), American golfer
Dawn Riley (born 1964), American sailor
Delbert Riley , Canadian First Nations leader
Del Riley (clerk) (1925–2018), American politician
Denise Riley (born 1948), English professor
Dennis Riley (1943–1999), American composer
Dennis L. Riley (1945–2023), American politician
Derek Riley (1922–2018), Canadian rower
Dick Riley (??–2010), American politician
Donna Riley , American professor
Dorothy Comstock Riley (1924–2004), American lawyer
Doug Riley (1945–2007), Canadian musician
Duke Riley (artist) , American artist
Duke Riley (American football) (born 1994), American football player
Dylan Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Earl Riley (1890–1965), American politician and businessman
Edna G. Riley (1880–1962), American screenwriter
Edward Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Edwin Riley (1867–1936), English cricketer
Elaine Riley (1917–2015), American actress
Eleanor Riley , English professor
Elijah Riley (born 1998), American football player
Elizabeth Riley (1792–1855), American abolitionist
Emily Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Emmett Riley (born 1969), American politician
Eric Riley (born 1970), American basketball player
Erin M. Riley (born 1985), American artist
Eron Riley (born 1987), American football player
Estela Riley (born 1969), Panamanian judoka
Ezra Riley (1866–1937), Canadian politician
Garrett Riley (born 1989), American football coach
Gary Riley (born 1967), American actor
George Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Gillian Riley (born 1945), English writer
Gina Riley (born 1961), Australian actor
Glenn Riley (born 1992), English rugby league footballer
Glyn Riley (born 1958), English footballer
Gordon Arthur Riley (1911–1985), American oceanographer
Guy Riley (1884–1964), British Army officer
Gwendoline Riley (born 1979), English writer
Gyan Riley (born 1977), American guitarist
Harold Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Harry Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Harry Lister Riley (1899-1986), British Chemist
Hayden Riley (1921–1995), American basketball coach
H. Chauncey Riley (1835–1904), English missionary
Helen Caldwell Day Riley (1926–2013), American nurse
Henry Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Herbert D. Riley (1904–1973), American admiral
Herlin Riley (born 1957), American jazz drummer
Herman Riley (1933–2007), American saxophone player
Horrie Riley (1902–1970), Australian rules footballer
Howard Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
H. Sanford Riley (born 1951), Canadian lawyer
Hughen Riley (born 1947), English footballer
Jack Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jake Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jalen Riley (born 1993), American basketball player
James Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Janet Mary Riley (1915–2008), American activist
Jason Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jeannie C. Riley (born 1945), American singer
Jeannine Riley (born 1940), American actress
Jeff Riley (1880–1954), Australian rules footballer
Jenelle Riley (born 1982), American actress
Jim Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jo Riley , British writer
Joan Riley (born 1958), Jamaican-British author
Joe Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Joellen Riley (born 1957), Australian lawyer
John Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jonathan Riley (born 1955), American philosopher
Jonathon Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Jordon Riley (born 1998), American football player
Joseph Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Judith Merkle Riley (1942–2010), American writer
Julia Riley , English astrophysicist
Larry Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Lawrence Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Leanne Riley (born 1993), English rugby union footballer
Lee Riley (1932–2011), American football player
Leon Riley (1906–1970), American basketball player
Les Riley (1908–1999), English cricketer
Lincoln Riley (born 1983), American football coach
Linda Riley , British journalist
Lisa Riley (born 1976), English actress
Llewellyn Riley (born 1972), Barbadian footballer
Lou Riley (1909–1989), Australian rules footballer
Lucinda Riley (1966–2021), Irish author
Luther Riley (born 1972), American basketball coach
Lynne Riley (born 1958), American politician
Maggie Riley (??–2015), English actress
Malcolm Riley (born 1960), British musician
Marc Riley (born 1961), British musician
Marcus Riley (born 1984), American football player
Margaret Riley (1965–2024), American film producer
Mark Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Martin Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mary Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Matt Riley (born 1979), American baseball player
Michael Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Mike Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Monique Riley (born 1995), Australian actress
Murray Riley (1925–2020), Australian rower
Mykal Riley (born 1985), American basketball player
Pat Riley (born 1945), American basketball coach
Pat Riley (American football) (born 1972), American football player
Patrick Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Paul Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Perry Riley (born 1988), American football player
Peter Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Phil Riley , English radio personality
Phillip Riley (born 1972), American football player
Polly Riley (1926–2002), American golfer
Preston Riley (born 1947), American football player
Rachael Riley (born 2004), Canadian artistic gymnast
Rachel Riley (born 1986), English television presenter
Raf Riley , English record producer
Ralph Riley (1924–1999), British geneticist
Raven Riley (born 1986), American actress
Regan Riley (born 2002), English footballer
Richard Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Robert Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Rochelle Riley , American columnist
Roderick Riley (born 1981), American basketball player
Ronald Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Rueben Riley (born 1984), American football player
Ruth Riley (born 1979), American basketball player
Ryan Max Riley (born 1979), American humorist and skier
Sally Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Sam Riley (born 1980), English actor
Sam Riley (rugby union) (born 2001), English rugby union footballer
Samantha Riley (born 1972), Australian swimmer
Scribz Riley (born 1993), English producer
Sean Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Sharon Riley (born 1946), Puerto Rican actress
Sid Riley (1878–1964), Australian rugby union footballer
Stevan Riley , British film director
Steven Riley , English immunologist
Steve Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Susan Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Talay Riley , British singer-songwriter
Talulah Riley (born 1985), English actress
Tarrus Riley (born 1979), Jamaican-American reggae singer
Teddy Riley (born 1967), American producer
Teddy Riley (trumpeter) (1924–1992), American jazz trumpeter
Terence Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Terry Riley (born 1935), American composer
Theodore M. Riley (1842–1914), American priest
Thomas Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Tim Riley (disambiguation) , multiple people
Tracy Riley (born 1966), New Zealand academic administrator
Trevor Riley (born 1948), Australian judge
Fictional characters with the surname [ edit ]
^ a b Bardsley, Charles Wareing (1901). A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames . Henry Frowde. p. 647 . ISBN 9785871144015 .
^ Seary, E.; Kirwin, William; Lynch, Sheila M. P. (1998). Kirwin, William (ed.). Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland . McGill-Queen's Press. p. 445. ISBN 9780773517820 .
^ Redmonds, George; King, Turi; Hey, David (2011). Surnames, DNA, and Family History . OUP Oxford. pp. 74–75. ISBN 9780199582648 .