NameRealm
Leigh

Leigh: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“meadow, clearing”
Origin
Old English
Say it
LEE · 1 syllable
Used for
Girls (89% of all uses)

Leigh comes from an English surname and place-name from Old English leah, meaning a meadow or clearing. It is also used as a spelling variant of Lee.

English namesNames meaning natureNames meaning earthSurname-style namesClassic namesNature names

How popular is Leigh?

202413.8 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Leigh in 202446

2024 rank#3,383 girls

Peak year1969

Total US babies since 188045,319

Leigh is steady now but far below its 1969 peak.

Names like Leigh

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Leemeadow, clearing · English
  • Leannamodern blend of Lee and Anna · English
  • Leeannmodern blend of Lee and Ann · American (modern coinage)
  • Leighameadow · English
  • Audreynoble strength · Old English
  • Ashleyash tree clearing · Old English
  • Oakleyoak clearing · Old English
  • Hadleyheather field · Old English

Leigh questions

What does the name Leigh mean?

Leigh means "meadow, clearing". It comes from Old English. Leigh comes from an English surname and place-name from Old English leah, meaning a meadow or clearing. It is also used as a spelling variant of Lee.

Is Leigh a boy or girl name?

Leigh is mainly a girl's name in US records (89% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Leigh?

46 US babies were named Leigh in 2024. Its peak year was 1969.

How do you pronounce Leigh?

Leigh is usually pronounced LEE.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.