Riley vs Tillie
Riley and Tilliecompared 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, Riley was ranked #108 and Tillie #431 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Riley was ranked #186 and Tillie #561 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Riley was ranked #266 and Tillie #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Riley was ranked #328 and Tillie #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Riley and Tillie over time
Riley and Tillie appear together in 3 published lists, across 52 years of shared records. Riley held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Tillie in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Tillie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Riley in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Riley and Tillie were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #186 and #561.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Riley #174 in 2017, Tillie #269 in 2015.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Riley held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Tillie in 19.
Highest recorded here: Riley #175 in 2024, Tillie #383 in 2013.
The order changed in 2016: Riley moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #539 and #512; by 2016 that had become #301 and #544.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Riley #186, Tillie #561.
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 2011–2025
Riley held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Tillie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Riley #134 in 2018, Tillie #339 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Riley #266, Tillie #608.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2013–2023
Riley held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Tillie in 2.
Highest recorded here: Riley #174 in 2017, Tillie #269 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Riley moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #358 and #269; by 2016 that had become #211 and #306.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Riley #328, Tillie #391.
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 | Tillie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #66 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #561 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Tillie does not have one recorded yet.
- Riley and Tillie both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Riley; Tillie doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Tillie
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1112 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 recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #269 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 2013–2023).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #561 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls