Leighton
Leighton was the 342nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 892 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 133 places. More babies were named Leighton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning leek enclosure, herb garden · Old English
Say it LAY-tun /ˈleɪtən/
- Rank in 2025
- #342 girls, up 59 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 892girls
- Girls and boys
- 77% girls, 23% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025892 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,823babies recorded
What does the name Leighton mean?
Leighton is an English place name found in several counties, from Old English lēac, "leek", and tūn, "enclosure, settlement", meaning a garden for leeks or herbs. Wiktionary gives this derivation. It became a surname and is now used as a first name for both boys and girls; Leighton Meester of the TV series Gossip Girl is a well-known bearer.
lēac (Old English, “leek”)tūn (Old English, “enclosure, settlement”)
How sure is this? Probable. Derivation given by Wiktionary; individual place names should be checked against a place-name dictionary.
Related names: Layton, Leigh, Lytton.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leighton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'leek', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Leighton popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #342 | #1,057 | 892 | 207 |
| 2020 | #401 | #743 | 777 | 327 |
| 2010 | #648 | #930 | 452 | 217 |
| 2000 | #3,562 | #1,277 | 37 | 102 |
| 1990 | #9,782 | #1,323 | 8 | 71 |
| 1980 | — | #1,511 | — | 41 |
| 1970 | — | #1,770 | — | 25 |
| 1960 | — | #1,311 | — | 37 |
| 1950 | — | #1,096 | — | 42 |
| 1940 | — | #1,028 | — | 40 |
| 1930 | — | #1,063 | — | 43 |
| 1920 | — | #1,100 | — | 42 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | #1,247 | — | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Leighton, counting every spelling?
Leighton is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #365 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #342 for Leighton on its own. Together these spellings went to 903 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leighton | 892 | #342 | 4,209 |
| Leightyn | 11 | #9,212 | 86 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Leighton?
892 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leighton (0.25 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Leighton born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Leighton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leighton?
About 12,300 people born in the US named Leighton are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Leighton a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Leighton by state
How common Leighton was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (3.6×), Nebraska (3.5×), West Virginia (2.8×), Oklahoma (2.8×), Mississippi (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, New Mexico, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leighton: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leighton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leighton · Sibling names for Leighton
Questions about the name Leighton
What does Leighton mean?
Leighton means “leek enclosure, herb garden” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Leighton?
Leighton was the 342nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 892 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 133 places. More babies were named Leighton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Leighton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 77% girls, 23% boys given the name Leighton in the US.
Where is Leighton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leighton was most common in Maine (1.88 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nebraska and West Virginia.