Given name & surname
Leighton
“from the town near the meadow”
Leighton is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the town near the meadow.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the town near the meadow.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Leighton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 21,823
- 9,411 boys · 12,412 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 1,144 babies
- 2025
- 1,099
- #342 for girls · #1,057 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 26% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 892 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 342 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 14.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 207 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (91). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,417 as a first name in 2020; 7,868 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Leighton’s family of names
Leighton has a related form in Layton. In English usage, Leighton has a related form in Leyton. Leighton has a related form in Leyton.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Leighton
- Leighton BainesEnglish association football player (born 1984)
- Leighton MeesterAmerican actress and singerborn 1986
- Leighton ClarksonEnglish association football player (born 2001)
- Leighton JamesWelsh footballer (1953–2024)
- Leighton W. Smith Jr.United States Navy admiral1939–2023
- Leighton LucasBritish composer (1903-1982)
- Leighton PhillipsWelsh footballer (born 1949)
- Leighton AllenEnglish association footballer (born 1973)
- Leighton Reesdarts player (1940–2003)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Leighton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sage
“wise one; type of spice”
32% boys · 68% girls
Oakley
“from the field of oak trees” · “from the meadow of oak trees”
35% boys · 65% girls
Lennon
“daughter of love” · “son of love”
26% boys · 74% girls
Sutton
“from the southern town”
33% boys · 67% girls
Winter
“born during the winter season”
6% boys · 94% girls
Murphy
“daughter of a great sea warrior” · “a warrior of the sea”
38% boys · 62% girls
Wren
“resembling a small songbird”
13% boys · 87% girls
Harley
“from the meadow of the hares”
20% boys · 80% girls