瑞利原名斯特拉特,因为他祖父被英国皇室封为瑞利勋爵,他是第三世,故称瑞利勋爵第三,简称瑞利。1842年11月12日,瑞利生于伦敦附近的埃塞克斯。他自幼体弱多病,学习时常因病中断。1861年,他进入剑桥大学的三一学院攻读 Rayleigh formerly Stratt, because his grandfather was the British royal family as Lord Rayleigh, he is the third world, it said Lord Rayleigh third, referred to as Rayleigh. On November 12, 1842, Rayleigh was born in Essex, near London. He was weak and sick from childhood, learning often interrupted because of illness. In 1861, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge University