Fun Facts About the Name Cayleigh
- More than 2 thousand babies named Cayleigh: U.S. records list 2,297 babies given the name Cayleigh from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Cayleigh Mean?
Cayleigh is a modern English spelling variant of Kayleigh, a feminine given name. It is most often understood as a combination of Kay, a short form of Katherine (associated with the Greek katharos, "pure"), and the ending -leigh, from Old English lēah, "woodland, clearing, meadow." In that common interpretation, the meaning is "pure meadow."
The name may also be a transferred use of the English surname Cayley or Kayley, which is habitational and comes from an English place name. If so, the meaning would be the meaning of that place name rather than a combination of Kay and leigh. The first element of Cayley is uncertain; it has been connected with Old English cǣg, "key," or with an Old English personal name, but no single derivation is securely established.
A separate Irish derivation from cadhla, "beautiful, comely," is sometimes proposed for names like Kayla and Kayley, but the -leigh spelling of Cayleigh points to English naming patterns. The common meaning given is "pure meadow," while the ultimate etymology is not certain.
Cayleigh Name History & Origins
Cayleigh is a spelling variant of Kayleigh, a feminine given name that belongs to the English family of names ending in -leigh. That ending comes from Old English lēah, "woodland clearing," which also appears in English place names and surnames such as Leigh, Bradley, and Beverley. In modern English naming, -leigh is an ornamental variant of the older -ley or -lee.
The base name Kayleigh is generally treated as a variant of Kayley or Kaylee, which are also found as English surnames. The surname Cayley is habitational, derived from an English place name, though the first element of that place name is not certain. As a given name, Kayleigh is also associated with the title of Marillion's 1985 song "Kayleigh." Cayleigh is a respelling that uses Cay- for Kay- and -leigh for -ley or -lee.
Cayleigh's own history is mainly orthographic: it shares the origin of Kayleigh and differs by spelling. It is used in English-speaking countries. Its development is tied to the modern fashion for -leigh endings rather than to a medieval or biblical tradition.
How Popular is the Name Cayleigh?
Cayleigh has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2009. Its best rank was #1,440 in 2009.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,900 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2024 | #4,671 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2023 | #5,023 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #3,982 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #2,785 | 61 | 0.0037% |
| 2020 | #2,376 | 74 | 0.0046% |
| 2019 | #2,967 | 55 | 0.0033% |
| 2018 | #2,788 | 61 | 0.0036% |
| 2017 | #2,696 | 64 | 0.0037% |
| 2016 | #1,945 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 2015 | #2,388 | 77 | 0.0043% |
| 2014 | #1,943 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 2013 | #1,635 | 131 | 0.0075% |
| 2012 | #1,783 | 115 | 0.0065% |
| 2011 | #1,604 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 2010 | #1,562 | 142 | 0.0080% |
| 2009 | #1,440 | 162 | 0.0088% |
| 2008 | #2,137 | 94 | 0.0050% |
| 2007 | #2,490 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 2006 | #2,561 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2005 | #2,228 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 2004 | #2,329 | 74 | 0.0040% |
| 2003 | #3,091 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2002 | #2,791 | 54 | 0.0030% |
| 2001 | #2,969 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2000 | #2,909 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 1999 | #3,386 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #2,657 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1997 | #4,247 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #5,322 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #5,052 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #4,877 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #4,546 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #3,882 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1991 | #6,309 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #5,598 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #7,033 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #5,648 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #6,872 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #4,758 | 16 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Cayleigh Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Cayleigh's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cayleigh's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.