Rayleigh Name Meaning, Popularity and Origins
Origin:
English
Gender Distribution:
2% Masculine / 98% Feminine
Meaning:
Rayleigh means 'roe deer forest' in Old English.
Meaning of the Name Rayleigh
Rayleigh is a surname of English origin. It is derived from the Old English words 'raege' meaning 'roe deer' and 'leah' meaning 'forest' or 'clearing'. The name can be traced back to ancient times and was originally used to refer to someone who lived near a forest where roe deer were abundant. As a given name, Rayleigh is rare but it is often used as a surname.
Popularity of the Name Rayleigh
The popularity for the name Rayleigh peaked in popularity in the year 2018 with 189 births, which ranked number 2,297 out of 29,661 unique names for that year. Rayleigh had the most female births in 2018 with 189, which ranked number 1,232 out of 18,126 female names for that year, and had the most male births in 2022 with 16, which ranked number 5,610 out of 14,255 male names for that year. The number of births for the name Rayleigh has increased sharply over the last ten years from 128 births to 200 births, an increase of 56.25%. Among females, Rayleigh has increased sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 128 births to 184 births, an increase of 43.75%.
Nationwide Popularity of Rayleigh
- 20 Year Trend of Rayleigh: 1076.47%
- 10 Year Trend of Rayleigh: 56.25%
- 10 Year Female Trend of Rayleigh: 43.75%
Popularity of Rayleigh by State
Among females, Rayleigh was most popular in Southeastern states with 66 births in the region. It was most commonly used in TX, with 25 female births. See below for a full state by state breakdown of the name Rayleigh. States with less than five births recorded will not be shown.
| State | Male Births | Male Gender Rank | Female Births | Female Gender Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | < 5 | N/A | 12 | 403 |
| AR | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 423 |
| CA | < 5 | N/A | 6 | 2853 |
| GA | < 5 | N/A | 11 | 852 |
| IN | < 5 | N/A | 6 | 923 |
| KY | < 5 | N/A | 12 | 341 |
| MO | < 5 | N/A | 6 | 813 |
| MS | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 543 |
| NC | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 1436 |
| NY | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 2109 |
| OH | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 1123 |
| PA | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 1121 |
| TN | < 5 | N/A | 9 | 756 |
| TX | < 5 | N/A | 25 | 1119 |
| VA | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 1208 |
2024 Popularity Projections for Rayleigh
- Total Births of Rayleigh: 209 (4.56%)
- Female Births of Rayleigh: 191 (3.70%)
Given the upward trend of Rayleigh over the last 10 years, we expect this to continue in 2024 with roughly a 4.56% increase in total births, for a total of 209 births in 2024. For Females, births for Rayleigh have been increasing over the past 10 years, and we expect roughly 191 female births in 2024, an increase of 3.70%.