Total births
3,000
Girls' name · since 1995
Rayleigh
3,000 babies named Rayleigh in U.S. Social Security records since 1995, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1444
- among girls today
- 3,000
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Rayleigh currently ranks #1444 among girls' names in America, with 3,000 babies recorded since 1995.
Rayleigh has 3,000 recorded births among girls since 1995, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1444 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1995 to 2025.
- #1444 among girls today
- 3,000 born since 1995
- 2010s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rayleigh is currently the #1444 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 3,000 born since 1995, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1444
- among girls today
- 3,000
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Rayleigh vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1444
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
52% of everyone ever named Rayleigh was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
189 babies were named Rayleigh in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Rayleigh compares
3,000 Top 18% higher than 82% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Rayleigh's all-time total is 8x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rayleigh | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,000 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 189 | 48 | 19,840 |
Rayleigh's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rayleigh's SSA record in two at 2010 and the more recent half accounts for 84% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 16%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1996, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2018 peak of 189, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rayleigh at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#1,444
Active since
1995
Rayleigh popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1995–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 189
- Annual births at peak, across 31 years of records
Rayleigh popularity over time - boys
98 total births recorded since 2016 (Rayleigh as boys' name)
Rayleigh by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Rayleigh's strongest decade.
1,567 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Rayleigh births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 43
1990s
43 births
- 2000s 430
2000s
430 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,567 births
- 2020s
2020s
960 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,567 births (52% of all-time use).
How Rayleigh compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Rayleigh's total volume
Rayleigh vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Rayleigh by state
Where Rayleigh concentrates geographically, total births since 1995
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 409 | 13.6% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 159 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 159 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 152 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 132 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 109 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 109 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 102 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Rayleigh's total US births 13.6%
Even split
409 of 3,000 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Rayleigh appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rayleigh? ▼
3,000 babies have been named Rayleigh since 1995. It currently ranks #1444 among girls. The peak year was 2018 with 189 births.
When was Rayleigh most popular? ▼
Rayleigh was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,567 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Rayleigh most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rayleigh are Texas (409 births), Alabama (159 births), Kentucky (159 births).
How long has the name Rayleigh been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rayleigh since 1995 -- 31 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Rayleigh? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rayna, Rayne, Raya, Ray, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rayleigh's data
- Rayleigh's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,567 total births) through the 2020s (960) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Rayleighs (409 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rayleigh
Nearby Names Like Rayleigh
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rayleigh
Rayna Girl
#727 13,386 births
Rayne Girl
#940 8,034 births
Raya Girl
#365 8,003 births
Ray Girl
#4776 5,606 births
Raylee Girl
#1257 5,037 births
Compare Rayleigh side by side: Rayleigh vs Rayna Rayleigh vs Rayne Rayleigh vs Raya
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rayleigh
Aysha #1443
3,189 births · Peak 2024
Everley #1445
2,389 births · Peak 2019
Katerina #1442
8,021 births · Peak 1998
Mercedes #1446
46,206 births · Peak 1991
Alisa #1441
34,705 births · Peak 1970
Sana #1447
4,873 births · Peak 2022
Addisyn #1440
10,117 births · Peak 2012
Meghan #1448
96,500 births · Peak 1985
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1995–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rayleigh: #1444 Girls' Name - 3,000 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rayleigh. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rayleigh draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.