Leighton
Leighton is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Leighton Andrews, Welsh academic and politician Leighton Aspell, Irish jockey Leighton Baines, English soccer player Leighton Baker, New Zealand politician Leighton Clarkson, English soccer player Leighton Coleman (1837–1907), American clergyman Leighton I.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Leighton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Leighton is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Leighton Andrews, Welsh academic and politician Leighton Aspell, Irish jockey Leighton Baines, English soccer player Leighton Baker, New Zealand politician Leighton Clarkson, English soccer player Leighton Coleman (1837–1907), American clergyman Leighton I.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Leighton
As a girl name
Leighton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1956, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2023: 853 births, good for #357 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 47% of all recorded Leightons. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #368 among girl names with 828 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 13K Leightons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Leighton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1893, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2019: 366 births, good for #692 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Leightons. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,110 among boy names with 194 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 10K Leightons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Leighton
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Leighton. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Leighton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Leighton is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Leighton
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How popular is Leighton in 2026?
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Is Leighton a unisex name?
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About the name Leighton
Leighton is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 13K births in the dataset. Leighton's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #357. Use the chart and map above to compare Leighton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.