Leigh

Did you know?

A few things about Leigh you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Leigh

Leigh Brackett

American novelist and screenwriter (1915–1978)

Choose Leigh and your child shares a first name with Leigh Brackett, an American novelist and screenwriter. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Leigh, like who?” Leigh Brackett's Wikipedia article is available in 34 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Leigh Brackett on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown; most likely a professional photographer, possibly with "Amazing Stories" magazine., Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 51,813 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Leigh, 31 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Leigh would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLeigh first shows up in US birth records in 1882, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 143 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1969, when it ranked #201. Today it's #4,460, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowLeigh was 3.5× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 14,771 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 51,813.
• 🍂TrendLeigh has slipped 682 places over the last five years and now sits at #4,460. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Leigh means “meadow, clearing”. Our records link it to Chinese, English and Hebrew roots.

About the name Leigh

Leigh is a girl name of Chinese, English and Hebrew origin meaning “meadow, clearing”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with L and ending in “-igh”. US birth records list Leigh for girls from 1912 to 2025, in 113 of those 114 years. Its best year was 1969, when it ranked #201 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #4,460, with 31 babies.

Origin:Chinese namesEnglish namesHebrew namesIrish namesOld English names