Riley is a derivative of Reilly, a name of English origin. The name is of Irish roots specifically meaning “courageous” or “rye clearing”. She’s also an English surname transferred from a place name.
Riley is anglicized from an old Irish title Raghallaigh which is borrowed from raghalach, the Gaelic word meaning “valiant or courageous”.
The name is hugely unisex. As a boy name, Riley has been in use for nearly 140 years. For girls, the name is relatively new, having first appeared on the American naming graphs in the early 1990s.
She has made significant jumps and has surpassed the boy variant. In fact, many American parents are now considering to use Riley for a girl rather than boys.