UK girl's name
Caleigh
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "bright-headed" or "fair beauty".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Caleigh is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Caleigh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3970, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 7 births.
This profile covers 59 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1998 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 72 living people in the UK are called Caleigh. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Caleigh ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 7 girls were registered as Caleigh.
- • Caleigh ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.
- • About 72 living people in the UK are estimated to have Caleigh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3970
2022
Births in 2022
5
Latest year
Peak year
2006
7 births
Estimated living
72
2026
Meaning
What does Caleigh mean?
The name Caleigh is a modern invented name that does not have a clear historical origin or etymology. It is likely a creative spelling variation of the more traditional names Cailey or Kayley, which are thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic name Cailín, meaning "young woman" or "girl."
The earliest recorded use of the name Caleigh dates back to the late 20th century, with the first known instance appearing in the United States. It is considered a relatively new name, with no known historical references or appearances in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records.
Due to its recent emergence, there are no notable historical figures or famous individuals named Caleigh from past centuries. However, here are five individuals who have been given the name in modern times:
1. Caleigh Hansen, an American volleyball player born in 1995. 2. Caleigh Herbst, a Canadian singer and songwriter born in 1998. 3. Caleigh Ryan, an American soccer player born in 1995. 4. Caleigh Wells, an American beauty influencer and social media personality born in 1994. 5. Caleigh LeMaster, an American softball player born in 2001.
While the name Caleigh may lack a deep historical background, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a unique and creative variation of more traditional names. Its rise in usage reflects the modern trend of inventing new names or experimenting with unconventional spellings.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Caleigh over time
The chart below shows babies named Caleigh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Caleigh, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caleigh by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Caleigh was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3966 | 10 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4793 | 17 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3847 | 29 | 6 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Caleigh is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Caleigh. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Caleigh ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.
Across the UK
Caleigh in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#802 in 2010
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#439 in 2008
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Caleigh
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Caleigh: questions and answers
How popular is the name Caleigh in the UK right now?
In 2022, Caleigh was ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Caleigh most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 7 babies registered as Caleigh in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Caleigh?
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "bright-headed" or "fair beauty".
How many people are called Caleigh in the UK?
A total of 59 babies have been registered as Caleigh across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Caleigh most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Caleigh ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #439 in 2008. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.