Total births
12,412
Unisex name · since 1956
Leighton
12,412 babies named Leighton in U.S. Social Security records since 1956, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #397
- among girls today
- 12,412
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Leighton is the #397 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 12,412 recorded since 1956.
Social Security Administration records show Leighton recorded 12,412 times among girls since 1956, holding rank #397 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #397 among girls today
- 12,412 born since 1956
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leighton is currently the #397 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 12,412 born since 1956, peaking in the 2010s.
- #397
- among girls today
- 12,412
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Leighton vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#397
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Leighton was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
892 babies were named Leighton in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Leighton compares
12,412 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Leighton's all-time total is 32x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leighton | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,412 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 892 | 48 | 19,840 |
Leighton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Leighton splits its recorded history at 2003: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1982 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 892 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Leighton at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#397
Active since
1956
Leighton popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 892
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Leighton popularity over time - boys
9,411 total births recorded since 1893 (Leighton as boys' name)
Leighton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Leighton's strongest decade.
6,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Leighton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1980s 57
1980s
57 births
- 1990s 227
1990s
227 births
- 2000s 932
2000s
932 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,204 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,986 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 6,204 births (50% of all-time use).
How Leighton 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 Leighton's total volume
Leighton vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Leighton by state
Where Leighton concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,529 | 12.3% |
| #2 | California | | 686 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Florida | | 571 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 482 | 3.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 459 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 433 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 428 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 404 | 3.3% |
Texas share of Leighton's total US births 12.3%
Even split
1,529 of 12,412 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Leighton appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leighton? ▼
Since 1956, Social Security records show 12,412 babies named Leighton. Today it holds rank #397 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 892 births.
When was Leighton most popular? ▼
Leighton was most popular in the 2010s decade with 6,204 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Leighton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leighton are Texas (1,529 births), California (686 births), Florida (571 births).
Is Leighton a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Leighton is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 12,412 births, and as a boy's name it has 9,411 births.
How long has the name Leighton been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Leighton since 1956 -- 70 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Leighton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leilani, Leila, Leigh, Leia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Leighton's data
- Leighton's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (6,204 total births) through the 2020s (4,986) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Leightons (1,529 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 Leighton
Nearby Names Like Leighton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leighton
Leilani Girl
#66 56,466 births
Leila Girl
#267 55,436 births
Leigh Girl
#3405 40,242 births
Leia Girl
#289 18,778 births
Leigha Girl
#4320 6,594 births
Compare Leighton side by side: Leighton vs Leilani Leighton vs Leila Leighton vs Leigh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leighton
Harley #396
31,167 births · Peak 2017
Charlee #398
19,268 births · Peak 2019
Alivia #395
34,786 births · Peak 2008
Alyssa #399
314,606 births · Peak 1999
Anya #394
20,561 births · Peak 2007
Trinity #400
85,348 births · Peak 2004
Gwendolyn #393
124,385 births · Peak 1953
Colette #401
27,987 births · Peak 2025
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, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Leighton: #397 Unisex Name - 12,412 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leighton. 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 Leighton 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.