Raleigh
Boy name · #2209 in 2025 · Very rare
Raleigh ranks #2209 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 64 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1870, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 28,125 boys born in 2025 was named Raleigh.
Babies named Raleigh per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Raleigh first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 139 boys were named Raleigh — good for #528 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Raleigh against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Raleigh in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Raleigh is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Raleigh will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Raleigh is most common
State-level data for Raleigh is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Raleigh
Statistically, parents drawn to Raleigh tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Roscoe, Charley, Clement, Lemuel, and Hershel.
RoscoeCharleyClementLemuelHershelMervinMahlonRupert
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Raleigh | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64 | #2207 |
| 2024 | 63 | #2261 |
| 2023 | 70 | #2097 |
| 2022 | 65 | #2217 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2225 |
| 2020 | 82 | #1815 |
| 2019 | 99 | #1642 |
| 2018 | 93 | #1687 |
| 2017 | 79 | #1861 |
| 2016 | 89 | #1739 |
| 2015 | 78 | #1870 |
| 2014 | 113 | #1447 |
| 2013 | 75 | #1878 |
| 2012 | 81 | #1818 |
| 2011 | 88 | #1687 |
| 2010 | 84 | #1768 |
| 2009 | 50 | #2528 |
| 2008 | 65 | #2104 |
| 2007 | 58 | #2257 |
| 2006 | 53 | #2348 |
| 2005 | 59 | #2081 |
| 2004 | 59 | #2024 |
| 2003 | 56 | #2031 |
| 2002 | 64 | #1792 |
| 2001 | 32 | #2864 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Raleigh a popular boy name?
Raleigh ranked #2209 among boys in 2025 with 64 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1870.
When was the name Raleigh most popular?
Raleigh peaked in 1921, when 139 American boys received the name (ranked #528 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Raleigh?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 28,125 newborn American boys was named Raleigh. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.