Roe deer meadow or rye clearing
Rayleigh is an English surname-turned-given name derived from Old English elements. It likely stems from 'ra' meaning roe deer and 'leah' meaning a woodland clearing or meadow, though it is also associated with 'ryge' meaning rye. In the scientific community, it is famously associated with the Rayleigh scattering phenomenon.
Less common today
Rayleigh isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #1,236 in 2018.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
Nobel Prize-winning physicist who discovered argon
