Total births
40,242
Unisex name · since 1912
Leigh
40,242 babies named Leigh in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1969. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3405
- among girls today
- 40,242
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
40,242 babies have been named Leigh since 1912, making it today's #3405 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Leigh has been recorded 40,242 times among girls since 1912, currently ranked #3405 nationally and more common than 81% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #3405 among girls today
- 40,242 born since 1912
- 1970s peak decade
- 81% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leigh is currently the #3405 unisex name in America, more common than 81% of girls - 40,242 born since 1912, peaking in the 1970s.
- #3405
- among girls today
- 40,242
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
Leigh vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3405
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 81% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Leigh was born in this single decade.
1969
Single peak year
1,564 babies were named Leigh in 1969 - its busiest year on record.
How Leigh compares
40,242 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Leigh's all-time total is 105x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leigh | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 40,242 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,564 | 48 | 19,840 |
Leigh's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Leigh splits its recorded history at 1969: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1969 peak of 1,564 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Leigh at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1969
Current rank
#3,405
Active since
1912
Leigh popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1969)
- 1,564
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Leigh popularity over time - boys
5,107 total births recorded since 1882 (Leigh as boys' name)
Leigh by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Leigh's strongest decade.
11,411 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Leigh births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 49
1910s
49 births
- 1920s 101
1920s
101 births
- 1930s 127
1930s
127 births
- 1940s 791
1940s
791 births
- 1950s 4,081
1950s
4,081 births
- 1960s
1960s
10,705 births
- 1970s
1970s
11,411 births
- 1980s
1980s
8,457 births
- 1990s 2,986
1990s
2,986 births
- 2000s 768
2000s
768 births
- 2010s 513
2010s
513 births
- 2020s 253
2020s
253 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 11,411 births (28% of all-time use).
How Leigh 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 Leigh's total volume
Leigh vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Leigh by state
Where Leigh concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,949 | 7.3% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 2,152 | 5.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,048 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 2,033 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,876 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 1,872 | 4.7% |
| #7 | California | | 1,871 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 1,707 | 4.2% |
Texas share of Leigh's total US births 7.3%
Even split
2,949 of 40,242 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Leigh appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leigh? ▼
40,242 babies have been named Leigh since 1912. It currently ranks #3405 among girls. The peak year was 1969 with 1,564 births.
When was Leigh most popular? ▼
Leigh was most popular in the 1970s decade with 11,411 total births. The single peak year was 1969.
Where is Leigh most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leigh are Texas (2,949 births), North Carolina (2,152 births), New York (2,048 births).
Is Leigh a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Leigh is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 40,242 births, and as a boy's name it has 5,107 births.
How long has the name Leigh been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Leigh since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Leigh? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leilani, Leila, Leia, Leighton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Leigh's data
- Leigh's decade-level peak was the 1970s (11,411 total births); usage has since declined to 253 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Leighs (2,949 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 Leigh
Nearby Names Like Leigh
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leigh
Leilani Girl
#66 56,466 births
Leila Girl
#267 55,436 births
Leia Girl
#289 18,778 births
Leighton Girl
#397 12,412 births
Leigha Girl
#4320 6,594 births
Compare Leigh side by side: Leigh vs Leilani Leigh vs Leila Leigh vs Leia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leigh
Stefania #3404
2,653 births · Peak 2004
Tanya #3406
116,855 births · Peak 1974
Coralie #3403
2,892 births · Peak 2016
Nikki #3407
40,109 births · Peak 1972
Cleopatra #3402
2,484 births · Peak 1974
Shifra #3408
1,715 births · Peak 2025
Hala #3401
1,813 births · Peak 2011
Angeles #3409
3,421 births · Peak 2003
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Leigh: #3405 Unisex Name - 40,242 Births, Peak 1969." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leigh. 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 Leigh 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.