Zayleigh
A feminine name derived from the combination of Zayley and Leigh.
Name Census estimates that about 871 living Americans carry the first name Zayleigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zayleigh today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zayleigh births was 2019 (95 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zayleigh. 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
871
~ 1 in 393,518 Americans
Peak year
2019
95 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,811
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Zayleigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zayleigh from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 523 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zayleigh remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zayleigh 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 Zayleigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zayleighs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, Ohio recorded the most babies named Zayleigh, while Missouri, Arkansas, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zayleigh
The name Zayleigh is a relatively modern invention, originating in the late 20th century as a combination of the names Zoe and Hayleigh. It does not have any direct linguistic or cultural roots in a particular language or region.
While the name itself is new, its components are derived from older sources. The first part, Zay, is likely inspired by the Greek name Zoe, which means "life" or "living." This name has been used for centuries in Greek-speaking regions and has rich historical and cultural associations.
The second part, leigh, is a common English suffix derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. This suffix is found in many English place names and has been incorporated into numerous given names, such as Hayleigh, Ashleigh, and Kayleigh.
As a combination name, Zayleigh does not appear to have any recorded historical references or mentions in ancient texts or religious scriptures. Its earliest recorded use as a given name is likely in the late 20th century, as it gained popularity as a unique and creative name choice.
While no famous historical figures are known to have borne the name Zayleigh, there are a few notable individuals with variations of the name in recent times. These include:
1. Zayley Andrews, an American actress and model born in 1990.
2. Zaylee Sian Madaleine, a British social media influencer and content creator born in 2004.
3. Zaylee Grace Wilkinson, a Canadian child actress born in 2006.
4. Zayley Keira O'Brien, a British singer and songwriter born in 2004.
5. Zaylee Ava Rose, an American child model and social media personality born in 2012.
It is important to note that while these individuals share variations of the name Zayleigh, the name itself is a relatively recent creation and does not have a long historical lineage or recorded use in earlier eras.
People
Zayleigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zayleigh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zayleigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zayleigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 871 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zayleigh 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 393,518 US residents.
Is Zayleigh a common name?
We classify Zayleigh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 877 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zayleigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Zayleigh was 2019, when 95 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zayleigh is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zayleigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zayleigh 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.