Cleo vs Riley
Cleo 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 · Girls
In 2023, Cleo was ranked #82 and Riley #41 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Cleo was ranked #4749 and Riley #58 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cleo was ranked #230 and Riley #108 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cleo was ranked #129 and Riley #175 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Cleo was ranked #209 and Riley #328 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cleo was ranked #273 and Riley #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Cleo and Riley over time
Cleo and Riley appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Riley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cleo 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cleo #129 in 2024, Riley #175 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cleo held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Riley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Cleo #129 in 2024, Riley #175 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cleo #129, Riley #175.
Republic of Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 2010–2025
Cleo held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Riley in 14.
Highest recorded here: Cleo #209 in 2024, Riley #134 in 2018.
The order changed in 2014: Riley moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #660 and #747; by 2014 that had become #661 and #264.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cleo #273, 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 | Cleo | 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #273 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Cleo does not have one recorded yet.
- Cleo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Riley.
- A meaning is recorded for Riley; Cleo 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
Cleo
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2021–2023
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2021–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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