Kayeleigh
A feminine name of modern origin derived from the elements "kay" and "leigh".
Name Census estimates that about 59 living Americans carry the first name Kayeleigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kayeleigh today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kayeleigh births was 2006 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kayeleigh. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kayeleigh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
59
~ 1 in 5,809,396 Americans
Peak year
2006
13 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2016 SSA rank
#17,563
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Kayeleigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kayeleigh from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 43 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kayeleigh remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kayeleigh 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 Kayeleigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kayeleigh
The name Kayeleigh is a modern English variant of the traditional name Kayley, which is derived from the Old English word "cæg" meaning "key" or "lock." This name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain during the medieval period, possibly originating as a nickname or surname for someone who worked as a locksmith or key maker.
Kayeleigh does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, the root word "cæg" can be found in Old English manuscripts and literature from the 8th to 12th centuries, indicating the existence of names and words related to keys and locks during that time.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Kayeleigh itself are relatively modern, dating back to the late 20th century. It is likely a more recent variation of the traditional name Kayley, which has been in use for several centuries. Some of the earliest known individuals with the name Kayeleigh include:
1. Kayeleigh Smith (born 1982), an American actress known for her role in the TV series "The Cosby Show."
2. Kayeleigh Roberts (born 1989), a British model and social media influencer.
3. Kayeleigh Donaldson (born 1995), a Canadian singer-songwriter.
4. Kayeleigh Thompson (born 1997), an Australian fashion designer.
5. Kayeleigh Williams (born 2001), an American gymnast who competed in the 2016 Olympic Games.
While the name Kayeleigh has gained popularity in recent decades, its historical roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the Anglo-Saxon culture of medieval Britain. As a variant of the traditional name Kayley, it carries a connection to the concept of keys and locks, which were important elements of daily life and security in those times.
People
Kayeleigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kayeleigh 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
Kayeleigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kayeleigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 59 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kayeleigh 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 5,809,396 US residents.
Is Kayeleigh a common name?
We classify Kayeleigh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 60 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kayeleigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Kayeleigh was 2006, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kayeleigh is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kayeleigh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kayeleigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kayeleigh 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.
Is Kayeleigh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kayeleigh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kayeleigh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Kayeleigh?
You can see how many people have the name Kayeleigh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.