Leighton: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#342

among girls · ↑55 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

1,099

named Leighton · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 1,802

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2022

1,144 babies

All-time total

21,823

#1,463 all-time among girls

First recorded

1893

in Social Security records

Leighton popularity over time

21,823 babies have been named Leighton since 1893, 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

GirlsBoys

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	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	21	21	2	–	–
1900s	–	31	31	3	+48%	–
1910s	–	247	247	25	+697%	–
1920s	–	440	440	44	+78%	–
1930s	–	349	349	35	-21%	–
1940s	–	423	423	42	+21%	–
1950s	6	383	389	39	-8%	#5,649
1960s	–	308	308	31	-21%	–
1970s	–	389	389	39	+26%	–
1980s	57	549	606	61	+56%	#7,455
1990s	227	958	1,185	119	+96%	#2,909
2000s	932	1,305	2,237	224	+89%	#676
2010s	6,204	2,446	8,650	865	+287%	#420
2020s (to 2025)	4,986	1,562	6,548	1,091	+26%	#342

Where Leighton 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	917	0.57	#335
2027	939	0.58	#326
2028	959	0.60	#319
2029	975	0.61	#313
2030	990	0.62	#307

Where Leighton is most popular

Girls named Leighton per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.519 per 1,000. Strongest in Maine, Nebraska, and West Virginia.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Leighton born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Maine	29	1.87	+261%
Nebraska	66	1.84	+254%
West Virginia	38	1.45	+179%
Oklahoma	105	1.43	+175%
Montana	19	1.40	+171%
Mississippi	65	1.39	+168%
Arkansas	73	1.38	+166%
Iowa	74	1.27	+144%
Idaho	40	1.20	+130%
Wisconsin	122	1.18	+128%
Kansas	67	1.16	+124%
Kentucky	96	1.12	+116%
Tennessee	175	1.10	+113%
Alabama	101	1.08	+107%
Louisiana	90	1.03	+98%
North Dakota	13	0.989	+91%
Minnesota	104	0.964	+86%
New Hampshire	17	0.921	+77%
Indiana	122	0.869	+68%
South Carolina	77	0.857	+65%
Michigan	152	0.834	+61%
North Carolina	188	0.826	+59%
Missouri	97	0.805	+55%
Colorado	85	0.761	+47%
Georgia	169	0.744	+43%
Virginia	118	0.692	+33%
Arizona	91	0.649	+25%
Ohio	152	0.641	+23%
Texas	503	0.625	+21%
Pennsylvania	129	0.546	+5%
Oregon	33	0.507	≈ national
Maryland	52	0.491	-5%
South Dakota	7	0.490	-5%
Illinois	112	0.489	-6%
Florida	184	0.430	-17%
Washington	62	0.429	-17%
Massachusetts	45	0.372	-28%
New Jersey	55	0.305	-41%
California	211	0.251	-52%
New York	97	0.245	-53%
Connecticut	14	0.241	-54%
New Mexico	5	0.206	-60%
Utah	12	0.144	-72%
Alaska	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Leighton

Leighton is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #342 in 2025 with 892 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1893, 21,823 American babies have been named Leighton, about 57% girls and 43% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2022, when 1,144 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Leighton stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Leighton?

The median living Leighton is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 16. An estimated 20 thousand people named Leighton 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.

Leighton year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	892	#342	207	#1,057
2024	797	#397	213	#1,044
2023	853	#357	232	#968
2022	842	#376	302	#823
2021	825	#379	281	#848
2020	777	#401	327	#743
2019	752	#420	366	#692
2018	712	#449	269	#830
2017	668	#468	238	#903
2016	756	#430	268	#842
2015	680	#475	261	#866
2014	568	#544	241	#896
2013	546	#545	184	#1,045
2012	521	#565	184	#1,045
2011	549	#527	218	#923
2010	452	#648	217	#930
2009	431	#676	175	#1,069
2008	213	#1,196	159	#1,144
2007	53	#3,231	140	#1,259
2006	37	#4,050	146	#1,158
2005	38	#3,848	128	#1,238
2004	32	#4,343	99	#1,430
2003	30	#4,369	118	#1,230
2002	30	#4,234	128	#1,126
2001	31	#4,069	110	#1,219
2000	37	#3,562	102	#1,277
1995	25	#4,167	90	#1,228
1990	8	#9,782	71	#1,323
1985	7	#8,845	53	#1,324
1980	–	–	41	#1,511
1975	–	–	43	#1,333
1970	–	–	25	#1,770
1965	–	–	19	#1,841
1960	–	–	37	#1,311
1955	–	–	40	#1,193
1950	–	–	42	#1,096
1945	–	–	45	#963
1940	–	–	40	#1,028
1935	–	–	30	#1,240
1930	–	–	43	#1,063
1925	–	–	44	#1,051
1920	–	–	42	#1,100
1915	–	–	27	#1,287
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	6	#1,247
1895	–	–	5	#1,178
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Leighton

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Leighton Meester American actress (born 1986) Contemporary
2 Leighton Baines English footballer (born 1984) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Leighton?

The median living Leighton is about 9 years old. Half of all living Leightons are between 4 and 16 years old.

How many people named Leighton are alive today?

An estimated 20 thousand people named Leighton are alive in the United States, based on 21,823 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Leighton mean?

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,…

How popular is the name Leighton in 2025?

Leighton ranked #342 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 892 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Leighton?

21,823 babies have been named Leighton in the United States since 1893, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Leighton most popular?

Leighton peaked in 2022, when 1,144 newborns received the name.

Is Leighton a boy or girl name?

Leighton is used for both: about 57% of babies named Leighton have been girls and 43% boys.

Is the name Leighton rising or falling?

Leighton is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Leighton become more popular?

Leighton is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 990 girls named Leighton in 2030, which would rank around #307. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Leighton?

Well-known people named Leighton include Leighton Meester (actor), Leighton Baines (soccer player).

Names like Leighton

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

Compare Leighton with similar names → More names starting with L →