Riley Family History

Riley Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name chiefly from High Ryley in Accrington (Lancashire) and Riley in Kirkburton which was in the manor of Wakefield (Yorkshire). In some cases the name may derive from Riley Farm in Eyam (Derbyshire) Royley in Royton (Lancashire) or Rylah in Scarcliffe (Derbyshire).

The placenames all come from Old English rȳge ‘rye’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Irish: from Ó Raghailligh ‘descendant of Raghailleach’ Old Irish Roghallach. This is the name of a chieftain family in Cavan related to the O'Rourkes.

In Anglicized form it has also been confused with Ó Raithile found in Munster usually Anglicized as O'Rahilly or Rahilly. See O'Reilly.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Ridley, Ripley, Risley, Iley, Wiley, Ryley, Brimley, Rilea, Reiley, Tilly

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
167K	Military Records
99K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Riley family from?

You can see how Riley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Riley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Riley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8,874 Riley families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Riley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Riley families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Riley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Riley

What did your Riley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Riley. 9% of Riley men worked as a General labourer and 64% of Riley women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Riley were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Riley

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Builders labourer

Cotton weaver

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Cotton weaver

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

What Riley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Riley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Riley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Riley

Passenger List

There are 99K immigration records available for the last name Riley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Riley immigration records

Military Records

There are 167K military records available for the last name Riley. For the veterans among your Riley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Riley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Riley family history

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What is the average Riley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Riley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Riley in 1940 was 32, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Riley family tree

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Riley Surname Meaning

In Anglicized form it has also been confused with Ó Raithile found in Munster usually Anglicized as O'Rahilly or Rahilly. See O'Reilly.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Riley family from?

What did your Riley ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Builders labourer

Cotton weaver

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Cotton weaver

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

What Riley family records will you find?

What is the average Riley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Riley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Riley in 1940 was 32, and 73 in 2004.

Riley Family History

Riley Surname Meaning

4 million record(s) for Riley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Riley family from?

What did your Riley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Riley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Riley family history

What is the average Riley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Riley family tree

Search for another surname

Riley Surname Meaning

4 million record(s) for Riley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Riley family from?

What did your Riley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Riley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Riley family history

What is the average Riley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Riley family tree

Search for another surname