Leighton first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Leighton has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Leighton

A masculine name of English origin, meaning "from the town meadow".

Popularity of Leighton by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Leighton is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 62% of people named Leighton being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 850 female babies and 231 male babies born with the name Leighton.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 231 850
2022 301 840
2021 281 823
2020 326 776
2019 366 752
2018 269 712
2017 238 668
2016 267 756
2015 261 680
2014 240 568
2013 184 546
2012 184 521
2011 218 549
2010 217 452
2009 175 431
2008 159 213
2007 140 53
2006 146 37
2005 128 38
2004 99 32
2003 118 30
2002 128 30
2001 110 31
2000 102 37
1999 106 34
1998 107 35
1997 91 42
1996 111 33
1995 90 25
1994 98 15
1993 91 7
1992 115 16
1991 78 12
1990 71 8
1989 77 9
1988 61 7
1987 49 9
1986 50 9
1985 53 7
1984 52 6
1983 57 5
1982 53 5
1981 56 0
1980 41 0
1979 58 0
1978 43 0
1977 31 0
1976 41 0
1975 43 0
1974 41 0

The history of the first name Leighton

The given name Leighton is an English name with origins dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. The name essentially refers to a settlement or village located in a meadow or clearing.

Leighton first emerged as a surname in areas of England such as Shropshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire during the 11th and 12th centuries. It was initially used as a locational surname, identifying people who hailed from various places called Leighton. Over time, some bearers of the surname adopted it as a given name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Leighton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several locations with names like Leitone and Lestone. These places likely gave rise to the surname and subsequently the given name.

In the 13th century, Sir Leighton de Leighton was a notable figure who served as a knight and landowner in Cheshire. He was part of the English gentry during the reign of King Henry III.

During the Renaissance period, Leighton Blohum (c. 1550-1612) was an English composer and organist who contributed to the development of English church music.

In the 17th century, Leighton Woodmass (1617-1684) was an English clergyman and writer who served as a chaplain to King Charles II.

A more modern example is Leighton Rees (1909-2003), a Welsh art historian and writer who specialized in the study of Celtic art and archaeology.

Another notable bearer of the name was Leighton Buzzard (1873-1950), an English actor and comedian who performed in various music hall and vaudeville shows during the early 20th century.

While the name Leighton has English origins, it has also been adopted in other cultures and languages over time, though the historical details may vary.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Leighton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Leighton, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Leighton first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/leighton-meaning-and-history/.

"Leighton first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/leighton-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 14 October, 2024

Leighton first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/leighton-meaning-and-history/.

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