Caileigh
A feminine given name of Irish origin meaning "bright-headed".
Name Census estimates that about 1,149 living Americans carry the first name Caileigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caileigh today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caileigh births was 2008 (62 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caileigh. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 298,307 Americans
Peak year
2008
62 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,016
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Caileigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caileigh from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 437 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caileigh by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Caileigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Caileighs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. New York, Texas, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Caileigh, while Virginia, Ohio, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Caileigh
The name Caileigh is an anglicized spelling of the Irish Gaelic name Cailín, which means "young woman" or "girl." This name originated in Ireland and has been in use since ancient times, with its roots tracing back to the Old Irish language.
In early Irish folklore and literature, the name Cailín was often used as a term of endearment or a way to refer to a young maiden. It was a common name among the Celtic people of Ireland and was likely derived from the Old Irish word "caille," meaning "veil" or "covering," which may have been a reference to the traditional head coverings worn by young women at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caileigh can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, a woman named Caileigh is mentioned as the wife of Niall Glúndub, the High King of Ireland in the 10th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Caileigh or its various spellings. One of the most famous was Caileigh Bhán, an Irish noblewoman and renowned beauty who lived in the 16th century. She was known for her extraordinary intelligence and charm, and her name became synonymous with grace and elegance.
Another notable Caileigh was Caileigh Ní Bhuachalla, a 17th-century Irish poet and storyteller from County Cork. Her works were celebrated for their vivid imagery and profound insights into the human experience.
In the 18th century, Caileigh Nic Dhòmhnaill was a renowned Scottish Gaelic poet and songwriter from the Isle of Lewis. Her compositions, which often explored themes of love, loss, and the natural world, were widely admired and passed down through generations of oral tradition.
Moving into the 19th century, Caileigh Nic Gill' Fhaolain was a prominent Irish language scholar and advocate for the preservation of Irish culture. She played a crucial role in promoting the study of Irish literature and language during a time when they faced significant challenges.
Finally, in the 20th century, Caileigh Ní Dhónaill was a celebrated Irish actress and playwright, known for her contributions to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Her performances and plays were praised for their authenticity and their ability to capture the essence of Irish life and character.
People
Caileigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caileigh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Caileigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caileigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,149 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caileigh going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 298,307 US residents.
Is Caileigh a common name?
We classify Caileigh as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,167 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caileigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Caileigh was 2008, when 62 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caileigh is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caileigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caileigh in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.