Kayleigh
Girl name · #804 in 2025 · Rare
Kayleigh ranks #804 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 340 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #324, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,294 girls born in 2025 was named Kayleigh.
The 41-year story
Kayleigh first appears in the Social Security records in 1984, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 1,450 girls were named Kayleigh — good for #227 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kayleigh per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kayleigh against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kayleigh in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kayleigh is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kayleigh will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kayleigh is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kayleigh is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kayleigh is most common in MS (1.3 per 1,000), SC (1 per 1,000), AL (0.7 per 1,000), NC (0.5 per 1,000), TN (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kayleigh is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Kayleigh
Statistically, parents drawn to Kayleigh tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kyleigh, Carleigh, Bayleigh, Kaleigh, and Harleigh.
KyleighCarleighBayleighKaleighHarleighMarleighBryleighKenleigh
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kayleigh | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 340 | #799 |
| 2024 | 386 | #730 |
| 2023 | 469 | #631 |
| 2022 | 590 | #529 |
| 2021 | 754 | #417 |
| 2020 | 706 | #435 |
| 2019 | 644 | #488 |
| 2018 | 707 | #450 |
| 2017 | 798 | #390 |
| 2016 | 958 | #348 |
| 2015 | 1,008 | #324 |
| 2014 | 1,174 | #278 |
| 2013 | 1,135 | #279 |
| 2012 | 1,227 | #265 |
| 2011 | 1,286 | #246 |
| 2010 | 1,298 | #244 |
| 2009 | 1,450 | #227 |
| 2008 | 1,435 | #239 |
| 2007 | 1,396 | #250 |
| 2006 | 1,230 | #266 |
| 2005 | 1,234 | #265 |
| 2004 | 1,161 | #285 |
| 2003 | 1,072 | #290 |
| 2002 | 945 | #324 |
| 2001 | 962 | #321 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kayleigh a popular girl name?
Kayleigh ranked #804 among girls in 2025 with 340 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #324.
When was the name Kayleigh most popular?
Kayleigh peaked in 2009, when 1,450 American girls received the name (ranked #227 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kayleigh?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,294 newborn American girls was named Kayleigh. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.