Kaeleigh
A feminine name derived from the Gaelic elements "cael" meaning "slender" and "leigh" meaning "beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 1,391 living Americans carry the first name Kaeleigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaeleigh today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaeleigh births was 2008 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaeleigh. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 246,409 Americans
Peak year
2008
65 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,555
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Kaeleigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaeleigh 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 582 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
Kaeleigh 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 Kaeleigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaeleighs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, New York, Ohio recorded the most babies named Kaeleigh, while Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaeleigh
The name Kaeleigh is a relatively modern invention that first appeared in the late 20th century. It is an anglicized spelling of the Irish Gaelic name Cáelaidhe, which means "slender" or "thin." The name Cáelaidhe itself is derived from the Old Irish word "caël," meaning "slender" or "thin."
Despite its Irish Gaelic roots, the name Kaeleigh does not have a long historical tradition or any recorded appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures. It is a relatively new name that gained popularity in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, in the late 20th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kaeleigh date back to the 1970s and 1980s, although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of this particular spelling. It is possible that the name was created by parents seeking a unique and stylized version of the traditional Irish name Cáelaidhe.
As a relatively new name, there are not many notable historical figures who bore the name Kaeleigh. However, here are a few examples of people who have been given this name in more recent times:
1. Kaeleigh Regan (born in 1987) is an American actress and model.
2. Kaeleigh Forsyth (born in 1989) is a Canadian actress and model.
3. Kaeleigh Pearson (born in 1991) is a Canadian soccer player who played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.
4. Kaeleigh Doxon (born in 1993) is an American soccer player who played for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
5. Kaeleigh Haycock (born in 1995) is a Canadian actress and singer.
While the name Kaeleigh may lack a deep historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a unique and stylized variation of the traditional Irish name Cáelaidhe, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive and modern name for their children.
People
Kaeleigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaeleigh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kaeleigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaeleigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,391 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaeleigh 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 246,409 US residents.
Is Kaeleigh a common name?
We classify Kaeleigh as "Rare". It ranks above 92% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,418 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaeleigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaeleigh was 2008, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaeleigh is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaeleigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaeleigh 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.