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Honestly? They are both common. Riley is masculine to me, so I would steer clear of it. Callie is okay, but super nicknamey. Are you sure you don't want a longer name with the nickname Callie? I think Calla is very pretty, but not popular and trendy and can stand on its own as a name.

I like Callie but not as a full name. I like Caroline "Callie".
Riley used to be on my girls list, then it was on both of my lists and now it's dropped off completely. I don't find it appealing, not the sound or it's ambiguity, and generally (and somewhat controversially) I think girls should have girls names. :-)

I know a Carolyn whose nickname is Cal (also Callyn) because that was what her brother made of Carolyn when they were toddlers.

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I wouldn't use whiney, trendoid Riley at any price. And I'd happily name a child something like Carolyn, Caroline etc and use Callie as a nn.

Riley will always be a male name to be so I prefer Callie. However I do prefer Callie as a nickname for Calanthe or Calliope.

I would choose Riley because 1) I just like it better, and 2) if you name her Callie, she might be called a baby.

Easy. I love Callie and hate Riley. I could easily have a Callie myself, though I would use it as a nickname for Calanthia.

Not a fan of either, but I'd go Callie. Riley sounds way to harsh and masculine.

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However, Callie doesn't age well, so if you like Caroline, Carolyn, Carolina or another name you think works as a full name with Callie as a nickname, I'd go with that.

I'm not a huge fan of either, but of the two, I'd choose Callie. I really dislike Riley on a girl- to me it's a male name. Riley is also very trendy at the moment- I used to work at a daycare and I can't even count the number of little girls named Riley/Ryleigh/Rylee etc. we had enrolled.

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Callie sounds more classic and less trendy, though personally if it were me I'd use a longer formal name like Caroline and call her Callie as a nickname.

Callie! It's so sweet and pretty and snappy. Riley is overdone and uber-trendy and boring.

Callie over Riley any day! I don't mind Callie, though I'd prefer it as a nickname.

Callie- please Callie! It's wonderful.

I prefer Callie, but it probably doesn't age well without a full middle name.

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I like Riley with the right middle name

Riley is a boys name, so Callie.

Callie is my pick. While I'd prefer it as a nickname for something like Caroline or Calanthe, it's workable on its own. It's feminine and sweet and is a nickname-turned-first-name that I can see aging relatively well.

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I find Riley quite tired and boring. I can't even get worked up over it being a boy's name used on girls anymore; there's just no energy left in it. I think it needs a rest.

I much prefer Callie, as Riley is very trendy and nms.

This message was edited 5/25/2015, 8:01 AM

Callie. Callie by about a bazillion miles. I'd so much rather be a Callie than a Riley.

To be honest, I don't like either one at all. Callie seems like a throw-away nickname that doesn't even have a readily-guessed-at full name. It's like what people name calico cats when they can't think of anything else.
Riley is done to death, and it's so ambisexual it's colorless and lifeless.

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Some suggestions, going by sound alone; some of these I like and some not:

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Kayla
Kaylee
Kylie
Raelyn
Hailey
Bailey
Carly
Molly
Mallory

Callie I don't like at all, sorry. Riley on the other hand, I do like a lot. I knew an older lady with this name, though with a different spelling and I always thought it was nice.

One way I would look at these names is their popularity. From what I can see, Callie is less popular than Riley (which could be an advantage, unless you want a more popular name). Plus, Callie has been in the popularity chart longer than Riley (as a girl's name).

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My top pick would be on Callie. It is, after all, a diminutive of Caroline (a classic) and other names that begin with Cal-.