Rayleigh
Girl name · #1449 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 149 baby girls were named Rayleigh, placing it at #1449 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1470, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 12,081 girls born in 2025 was named Rayleigh.
Babies named Rayleigh per year. Source: SSA.
The 30-year story
Rayleigh first appears in the Social Security records in 1995, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 189 girls were named Rayleigh — good for #1233 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Rayleigh against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rayleigh in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rayleigh is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Rayleigh will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rayleigh is most common
Geography matters for names, and Rayleigh is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Rayleigh is most common in KY (0.8 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000), GA (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Rayleigh is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Rayleigh
Statistically, parents drawn to Rayleigh tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Raeleigh, Raleigh, Harleigh, Hadleigh, and Kinsleigh.
RaeleighRaleighHarleighHadleighKinsleighMarleighRosaleighAdaleigh
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rayleigh | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 149 | #1443 |
| 2024 | 153 | #1441 |
| 2023 | 166 | #1356 |
| 2022 | 184 | #1288 |
| 2021 | 131 | #1600 |
| 2020 | 177 | #1264 |
| 2019 | 187 | #1247 |
| 2018 | 189 | #1233 |
| 2017 | 187 | #1263 |
| 2016 | 158 | #1456 |
| 2015 | 156 | #1470 |
| 2014 | 174 | #1345 |
| 2013 | 129 | #1646 |
| 2012 | 128 | #1663 |
| 2011 | 134 | #1612 |
| 2010 | 125 | #1688 |
| 2009 | 81 | #2375 |
| 2008 | 84 | #2318 |
| 2007 | 62 | #2890 |
| 2006 | 55 | #3054 |
| 2005 | 33 | #4195 |
| 2004 | 38 | #3748 |
| 2003 | 30 | #4307 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6392 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6619 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rayleigh a popular girl name?
Rayleigh ranked #1449 among girls in 2025 with 149 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1470.
When was the name Rayleigh most popular?
Rayleigh peaked in 2018, when 189 American girls received the name (ranked #1233 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rayleigh?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 12,081 newborn American girls was named Rayleigh. 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.