Total births
16,244
Girls' name · since 1980
Kaleigh
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 16,244 babies named Kaleigh, peaking in 2001. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2761
- among girls today
- 16,244
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
16,244 babies have been named Kaleigh since 1980, making it today's #2761 girls' name.
Kaleigh has 16,244 recorded births among girls since 1980, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2761 as of the latest data, more common than 84% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2025.
- #2761 among girls today
- 16,244 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kaleigh is currently the #2761 girls' name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 16,244 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2761
- among girls today
- 16,244
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Kaleigh vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2761
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Kaleigh was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
729 babies were named Kaleigh in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaleigh compares
16,244 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kaleigh's all-time total is 43x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaleigh | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,244 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 729 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kaleigh's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kaleigh splits its recorded history at 2003: 46% of all births land in the more recent half, 54% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1980 (7 births) -- compare that against the 2001 peak of 729 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kaleigh at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2001
Current rank
#2,761
Active since
1980
Kaleigh popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 729
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Kaleigh popularity over time - boys
6 total births recorded since 2004 (Kaleigh as boys' name)
Kaleigh by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kaleigh's strongest decade.
6,286 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Kaleigh births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 1,397
1980s
1,397 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,270 births
- 2000s
2000s
6,286 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,787 births
- 2020s 504
2020s
504 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 6,286 births (39% of all-time use).
How Kaleigh compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kaleigh's total volume
Kaleigh vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kaleigh by state
Where Kaleigh concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,404 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Florida | | 863 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 850 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 799 | 4.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 752 | 4.6% |
| #6 | California | | 698 | 4.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 665 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 630 | 3.9% |
Texas share of Kaleigh's total US births 8.6%
Even split
1,404 of 16,244 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Kaleigh appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaleigh? ▼
Since 1980, Social Security records show 16,244 babies named Kaleigh. Today it holds rank #2761 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2001, with 729 births.
When was Kaleigh most popular? ▼
Kaleigh was most popular in the 2000s decade with 6,286 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Kaleigh most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaleigh are Texas (1,404 births), Florida (863 births), Georgia (850 births).
How long has the name Kaleigh been used? ▼
Kaleigh has been recorded in Social Security data since 1980, spanning 46 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kaleigh? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kali, Kaley, Kaliyah, Kallie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kaleigh's data
- Kaleigh's decade-level peak was the 2000s (6,286 total births); usage has since declined to 504 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kaleighs (1,404 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kaleigh
Nearby Names Like Kaleigh
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaleigh
Kali Girl
#295 32,527 births
Kaley Girl
#2705 13,682 births
Kaliyah Girl
#442 12,946 births
Kallie Girl
#846 12,683 births
Kalani Girl
#339 10,278 births
Compare Kaleigh side by side: Kaleigh vs Kali Kaleigh vs Kaley Kaleigh vs Kaliyah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaleigh
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1980–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaleigh: #2761 Girls' Name - 16,244 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaleigh. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kaleigh draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.