Aaron vs Riley
Aaron and Rileycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and Riley #42 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Riley #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Riley #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Riley #80 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Riley #85 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Riley #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Aaron and Riley over time
Aaron and Riley appear together in 5 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Riley held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Aaron in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Riley in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In England and Wales · Boys, Riley moved into the top 50 at #33 in 2008 as Aaron fell out of it to #55, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Riley moved ahead of Aaron in England and Wales · Boys — #49 and #57 the year before became #55 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron and Riley averaged 44.5 places apart, ending at #86 and #56.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Riley in 17.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Riley #8 in 2012.
The order changed in 2008: Riley moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #49 and #57; by 2008 that had become #55 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Riley #80.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Riley in 12.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #12 in 2003, Riley #9 in 2012.
The order changed in 2017: Riley moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #50 and #64; by 2017 that had become #80 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Riley #108.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Riley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #9 in 2005, Riley #101 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Riley #188.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 1996–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Riley in 17.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #27 in 1996, Riley #6 in 2008.
The order changed in 2000: Riley moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #40 and #56; by 2000 that had become #43 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, Riley #56.
New Zealand · Boys15 shared years, 2000–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Riley in 14.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #63 in 2000, Riley #6 in 2008.
The order changed in 2001: Riley moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #63 and #98; by 2001 that had become #85 and #62.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Riley #42.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Riley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | An Irish surname (variant of Reilly) or an English surname meaning 'rye clearing' — its use as a first name is relatively modern, dating from the 1980s-90s. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈɹaɪ.li/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Riley is recorded with a Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition origin.
- Aaron and Riley both have 2 syllables.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Riley's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Riley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1755 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls