Cassandra vs Riley
Cassandra 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cassandra was ranked #541 and Riley #108 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cassandra was ranked #510 and Riley #175 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cassandra was ranked #885 and Riley #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Cassandra was ranked #391 and Riley #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Cassandra and Riley over time
Cassandra and Riley appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Riley held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cassandra in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cassandra and Riley changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #510 and #175.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Riley rose about as far as Cassandra fell — from #319 and #1755 in 1996 to #510 and #175 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cassandra held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Riley in 20.
Highest recorded here: Cassandra #319 in 1996, Riley #175 in 2024.
The order changed in 2011: Riley moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #758 and #830; by 2011 that had become #1067 and #692.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cassandra #510, Riley #175.
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 2008–2025
Cassandra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Riley in 10.
Highest recorded here: Cassandra #441 in 2024, Riley #138 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cassandra #885, Riley #266.
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 | Cassandra | Riley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹaɪ.li/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | Norway · Girls #340 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Riley has a recorded origin (Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition); Cassandra does not have one recorded yet.
- Cassandra has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Riley.
- A meaning is recorded for Riley; Cassandra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Cassandra
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #99 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1969–1999
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1969–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #340 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
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