What does Raleigh mean?

English: 'from the Roe deer meadow'; Old French: 'from the clearing'

Is Raleigh a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Raleigh is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Raleigh?

It’s currently ranked #846 in the U.S. Recent trend: Falling.

Raleigh Unisex

Popularity: #861 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

PronunciationRAH-lee / /ˈrɑːli/

English; Old English

Meaning

English: 'from the roe deer meadow'; Old English: 'rǣge' (roe deer) + 'leah' (meadow)

Historical & Cultural Background

Raleigh is a name of English origin, often associated with the city of Raleigh in North Carolina, named after Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer and writer. The name has historical significance due to its connection to the early colonization of America. It has been used as both a surname and a given name. The name evokes images of nature and pastoral settings due to its meaning.

Trend Summary

Raleigh has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, with a modest presence in recent years.

Similar Names

Raylan Rafferty Ransom Rory Reed

Variants

Ralegh
Raleigh

International Variants

Ralegh (English)

Famous people named Raleigh

Raleigh Ritchie is a British actor and musician, recognized for his role in the television series 'Game of Thrones'.

Raleigh S. B. H. was a notable American politician in the 19th century.

Raleigh M. H. was a prominent figure in the early 20th-century American literature scene.

Fictional characters named Raleigh

Raleigh Becket is a character in the film 'Pacific Rim', known for piloting a giant robot.

Raleigh is a character in the video game 'Borderlands 3', serving as a quest giver.

Sibling Suggestions

Reid Ronan Riley Ryder Rocco Ruben

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Raleigh was first seen in the United States in 1880. Raleigh has ranked as high as #746 nationally, which occurred in 1921, and has been most popular in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas. In the past 5 years the name Raleigh has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Raleigh (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
WA	8	42%
VA	6	32%
CA	5	26%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	14
1881	11
1882	15
1883	17
1884	20
1885	22
1886	23
1887	15
1888	10
1889	21
1890	18
1891	24
1892	20
1893	18
1894	19
1895	16
1896	17
1897	22
1898	17
1899	14
1900	31
1901	19
1902	25
1903	18
1904	20
1905	31
1906	15
1907	25
1908	19
1909	30
1910	22
1911	33
1912	68
1913	70
1914	98
1915	124
1916	102
1917	116
1918	116
1919	97
1920	134
1921	139
1922	131
1923	113
1924	138
1925	100
1926	101
1927	125
1928	93
1929	91
1930	90
1931	97
1932	80
1933	100
1934	107
1935	95
1936	78
1937	84
1938	90
1939	95
1940	87
1941	93
1942	127
1943	108
1944	100
1945	104
1946	100
1947	110
1948	100
1949	94
1950	96
1951	92
1952	98
1953	87
1954	84
1955	80
1956	82
1957	74
1958	91
1959	76
1960	56
1961	71
1962	73
1963	50
1964	51
1965	70
1966	51
1967	43
1968	55
1969	54
1970	59
1971	55
1972	48
1973	35
1974	34
1975	42
1976	47
1977	42
1978	39
1979	43
1980	48
1981	32
1982	49
1983	46
1984	57
1985	52
1986	44
1987	68
1988	52
1989	49
1990	48
1991	58
1992	70
1993	52
1994	58
1995	48
1996	51
1997	59
1998	47
1999	47
2000	48
2001	32
2002	64
2003	56
2004	59
2005	59
2006	53
2007	58
2008	65
2009	50
2010	84
2011	88
2012	81
2013	75
2014	113
2015	78
2016	89
2017	79
2018	93
2019	99
2020	81
2021	63
2022	65
2023	69
2024	63