Arthur vs Riley
Arthur 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #4 and Riley #80 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Riley #44 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Riley #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Riley #66 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Riley #85 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Riley #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Riley over time
Arthur and Riley appear together in 5 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Riley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Arthur 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 New Zealand · Boys, Arthur moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2019 as Riley fell out of it to #53, having been #50 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Arthur moved ahead of Riley in New Zealand · Boys — #64 and #50 the year before became #35 and #53.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Riley in 15.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Riley #8 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Riley #80.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Riley in 7.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Riley #101 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Riley #188.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Riley in 11.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Riley #9 in 2012.
The order changed in 2016: Arthur moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #89 and #59; by 2016 that had become #57 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Riley #108.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Riley in 5.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Riley #38 in 2015.
The order changed in 2019: Arthur moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #64 and #50; by 2019 that had become #35 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Riley #44.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Riley in 2.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Riley #45 in 2017.
The order changed in 2019: Arthur moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #73 and #61; by 2019 that had become #51 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Riley #66.
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 | Arthur | Riley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | 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 | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈɹaɪ.li/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Riley is recorded with a Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition origin.
- Arthur and Riley both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur'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.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Riley a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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