Cayleigh: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,900

among girls · ↓210 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Cayleigh · -7% vs 2024

How common

1 in 59,528

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2009

162 babies

All-time total

2,297

#4,291 all-time among girls

First recorded

1986

in Social Security records

Cayleigh popularity over time

2,297 babies have been named Cayleigh since 1986, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	51	5	–	#4,758
1990s	249	25	+388%	#2,657
2000s	757	76	+204%	#1,441
2010s	986	99	+30%	#1,562
2020s (to 2025)	254	42	-57%	#2,378

Where Cayleigh is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	24	0.01	outside top 500
2027	22	0.01	outside top 500
2028	20	0.01	outside top 500
2029	18	0.01	outside top 500
2030	17	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Cayleigh

Cayleigh is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,900 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1986, 2,297 American babies have been named Cayleigh. Its peak came in 2009, when 162 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cayleigh stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cayleigh?

The median living Cayleigh is about 15 years old; half are between 10 and 20. An estimated 2,300 people named Cayleigh are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cayleigh year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	27	#4,900
2024	29	#4,690
2023	26	#5,027
2022	37	#3,984
2021	61	#2,788
2020	74	#2,378
2019	55	#2,968
2018	61	#2,788
2017	64	#2,698
2016	103	#1,946
2015	77	#2,388
2014	103	#1,943
2013	131	#1,635
2012	115	#1,783
2011	135	#1,604
2010	142	#1,562
2009	162	#1,441
2008	94	#2,137
2007	75	#2,490
2006	71	#2,561
2005	82	#2,228
2004	74	#2,329
2003	48	#3,091
2002	54	#2,791
2001	48	#2,969
2000	49	#2,909
1995	19	#5,052
1990	16	#5,598
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cayleigh, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cayleigh?

The median living Cayleigh is about 15 years old. Half of all living Cayleighs are between 10 and 20 years old.

How many people named Cayleigh are alive today?

An estimated 2,300 people named Cayleigh are alive in the United States, based on 2,297 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cayleigh mean?

Spelling variant of Caylee.

How popular is the name Cayleigh in 2025?

Cayleigh ranked #4,900 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cayleigh?

2,297 babies have been named Cayleigh in the United States since 1986, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cayleigh most popular?

Cayleigh peaked in 2009, when 162 newborns received the name.

Is Cayleigh a boy or girl name?

Cayleigh is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cayleigh rising or falling?

Cayleigh is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cayleigh become more popular?

Cayleigh is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 17 girls named Cayleigh in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Cayleigh

Names that sound and feel close to Cayleigh: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cayleigh with similar names → More names starting with C →