Reilly

/R-Y-EH-L-IY/

Unisex ChristianAtheist English origin BritishAmerican

Courageous, valiant, from Irish Raghailligh (brave, sociable). An Irish surname brimming with spirit

See Reilly scored for your family

Meaning & origin

Reilly is a unisex's name of English origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Courageous, valiant, from Irish Raghailligh (brave, sociable). An Irish surname brimming with spirit" and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.

Beyond its Christian heritage, Reilly is also used in Atheist traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.

Common among British, American, European families, Reilly carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.

Numerology of Reilly

Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Reilly resonates in either tradition.

Pythagorean
9
compassion and humanitarian service
Chaldean
6
nurturing and family devotion

How Reilly sounds

NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Reilly breaks down into 5 phonemes: /R-Y-EH-L-IY/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.

Nicknames

Common affectionate forms of Reilly — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.

ReiliReil

The six signals, applied to Reilly

NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Reilly maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.

01 — Birth Star
Nakshatra match
Enter your baby's birth date in the app and we'll compute the nakshatra compatibility score.
02 — Numerology
Destiny alignment
Pythagorean and Chaldean life-path calculations (destiny 9) matched against your family's own numerology profile.
03 — Phonetics
Last-name fit
Rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters measured with IPA to see how Reilly flows with your family name.
04 — Meaning
Courage
Reilly belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
05 — Cultural & Tradition
Christian
As a Christian name, Reilly carries religious and cultural weight scored against your family's heritage — plus grandparent-name matches, saint's-day alignment, and generational naming patterns scored against your family tree.
06 — Uniqueness
Popularity balance
How common Reilly is today versus historically — finding the sweet spot between familiar and forgotten.

Names similar to Reilly

If Reilly resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.

From the same tradition

Other Christian unisex names, common in British families

Luca
Light-giving, the Italian form that crosses gender boundaries with effortless Mediterranean grace — Luca is Luke softened by Italian vowels into a name equally at home on a son or a daughter. It carries the warmth of southern European sunshine, the artistic heritage of a culture that elevated beauty to a moral principle, and the international ease of a name that needs no translation
Riley
A major American cross-gender favorite with very strong current household normalization
Nico
Victory of the people, compressed into a name as quick and bright as a struck match — Nico is the pan-European short form of Nicholas and Nicole, carrying the Greek concept of popular triumph in two vivid syllables. It sounds at home in Rome, Amsterdam, and Buenos Aires, a name that belongs to no single country because it belongs to the spirit of celebration itself
Skylar
From Dutch 'Schuyler' (scholar, shelter). American adaptation. Used for all genders since 1990s

Sharing the same meaning

Other Christian unisex names from the Courage cluster

Alexis
Defender, protector, the one who wards off harm — Alexis comes from the Greek verb meaning to defend and has moved between genders across centuries and continents. It carries the guardian's vigilance, the instinct to step between danger and the vulnerable, and the ancient Greek conviction that the highest use of strength is not conquest but protection of those who cannot protect themselves
Nikita
Victorious one — Nikita (Russian Никита, from Greek Nikētēs 'victor') shares its root with Nike and Nikolai. In Russian and Slavic usage it is a masculine name, though Western adoption has often treated it as feminine. The earliest Saint Nikita was an early Christian martyr remembered for his steadfastness.
Finley
Fair warrior, the white-haired hero of Gaelic legend — Finley descends from the same root as Fionn mac Cumhaill, the legendary hunter-warrior of Irish and Scottish mythology. It carries the pale radiance of northern skies, the martial spirit of Highland culture, and the modern versatility of a name that moved from the clan chieftain's hall to the nursery without losing any of its Celtic fire

Names that sound similar

Christian unisex names that open with the same syllables as Reilly

Rowan
The rowan tree, the sacred protector whose red berries ward off enchantment
River
The flowing water that carves its own path through the landscape — River is the nature name that most perfectly captures movement, the relentless forward energy of water finding its way from mountain to sea.
Raven
The raven — Raven names a child after the bird sacred in Norse (Odin's two ravens Hugin and Munin) and Native American mythology. A modern Western Pagan revival name carrying mystery and intelligence.

Common questions about Reilly

What does the name Reilly mean?

Reilly means "Courageous, valiant, from Irish Raghailligh (brave, sociable). An Irish surname brimming with spirit." It is a unisex name of English origin, traditionally used in Christian families.

Is Reilly a boy or girl name?

Reilly is a unisex name, used for any gender.

What is the origin of the name Reilly?

Reilly is of English origin, used in Christian, Atheist traditions, commonly among British, American, European families.

What are common nicknames for Reilly?

Common short forms of Reilly include Reili, Reil.

What is the numerology of Reilly?

Reilly has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.

See how Reilly scores for your family

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