Raleigh
- US rank
- #1,880
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #1,380 in 2016
104 babies were named Raleigh in the US in 2025. It has dropped 421 places in five years.
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US births per million girls, 1923–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Raleigh you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 15,456 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Raleigh, 104 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Raleigh would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRaleigh has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Raleighs, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 2016, when it reached #1,380.
- Then vs nowRaleigh is 4.5× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 69,930 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 15,456.
- TrendRaleigh has slipped 421 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,880. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedRaleigh is most popular in Louisiana, where it ranks #677, followed by South Carolina (#688) and Alabama (#819). It's in the top 1,000 in 4 states.
- Boy or girlRaleigh is given to both boys and girls: 62% of the 168 babies named Raleigh in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
About the name Raleigh
Raleigh is a gender-neutral name of Irish origin. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-igh”. US birth records list Raleigh for girls from 1923 to 2025, in 58 of those 103 years. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked #1,380 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,880, with 104 babies. Of the 168 US babies named Raleigh in 2025, 62% were girls and 38% were boys.
Origin:Irish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.6 | 1,707,317 girls |
| 1940s | 1.6 | 645,161 girls |
| 1950s | 0.4 | 2,500,000 girls |
| 1960s | 0.6 | 1,818,182 girls |
| 1970s | 2.6 | 387,597 girls |
| 1980s | 5.8 | 172,712 girls |
| 1990s | 14 | 70,274 girls |
| 2000s | 29 | 34,965 girls |
| 2010s | 77 | 12,979 girls |
| 2020s | 76 | 13,222 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 154 | 6,505 boys |
| 1890s | 163 | 6,129 boys |
| 1900s | 172 | 5,818 boys |
| 1910s | 130 | 7,673 boys |
| 1920s | 106 | 9,457 boys |
| 1930s | 87 | 11,514 boys |
| 1940s | 70 | 14,267 boys |
| 1950s | 43 | 23,337 boys |
| 1960s | 30 | 33,568 boys |
| 1970s | 27 | 37,327 boys |
| 1980s | 27 | 37,147 boys |
| 1990s | 28 | 36,219 boys |
| 2000s | 27 | 36,738 boys |
| 2010s | 47 | 21,372 boys |
| 2020s | 39 | 25,456 boys |
More Irish names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Girl name: Abigail · my father is joy
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Girl name: Maeve · she who intoxicates
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
Questions about the name Raleigh
What is the origin of the name Raleigh?
Raleigh has Irish roots in our records. Other Irish names include Liam, Owen, Abigail.
Is Raleigh a boy or girl name?
Both. Raleigh is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 62% of US babies named Raleigh were girls.
How popular is the name Raleigh?
Raleigh ranked #1,880 for US girls in 2025, given to 104 babies. Its best year was 2016 (#1,380).