Riley vs Tighe
Riley and Tighecompared 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 2025, Riley was ranked #83 and Tighe #3684 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Riley was ranked #105 and Tighe #699 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Riley and Tighe over time
Riley and Tighe appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Riley held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Tighe in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Tighe reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys18 shared years, 1998–2025
Riley held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Tighe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Riley #21 in 2013, Tighe #2501 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Riley #83, Tighe #3684.
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 | Riley | Tighe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹaɪ.li/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Riley has a recorded origin (Irish/English (surname origin), dual tradition); Tighe does not have one recorded yet.
- Riley and Tighe both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Riley; Tighe doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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 #186 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Tighe
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2901 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2015
Highest recorded position: #390 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 2004–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys