NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Carleigh

A feminine given name derived from Charles, meaning "free woman" or "petite".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Carleigh is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Carleigh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4739, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 7 births.

This profile covers 37 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 43 living people in the UK are called Carleigh. 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 2014 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Carleigh ranked #4739 for girls in England and Wales in 2013, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 7 girls were registered as Carleigh.
  • Carleigh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #798 in 2016.
  • About 43 living people in the UK are estimated to have Carleigh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4739

2013

Births in 2013

4

Latest year

Peak year

2008

7 births

Estimated living

43

2026

Meaning

What does Carleigh mean?

The name Carleigh is a modern English variant of the traditional name Carlisle. It is derived from the Old English words "cær" meaning "rock" and "leah" meaning "meadow or clearing." The name Carlisle originally referred to the town of Carlisle in Cumbria, England, which was founded by the Romans and named Luguvalium. The town's name eventually evolved into Carlisle.

The earliest known use of the name Carleigh dates back to the late 20th century, when it became popular as a feminine given name in English-speaking countries. While the traditional name Carlisle has a long history, the variant Carleigh is relatively new and does not have any significant historical references or notable bearers from earlier periods.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Carleigh was Carleigh O'Hartigan, an Australian actress born in 1984. She has appeared in various television shows and films, including "All Saints" and "Underbelly."

Another notable bearer of the name is Carleigh Silvers, an American paralympic swimmer born in 1997. She has won multiple medals at the Paralympic Games, including gold medals in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Carleigh Shilling, born in 1988, is an American actress and model. She has appeared in several TV shows and films, such as "Gossip Girl" and "The Haunting of Molly Hartley."

Carleigh Fedorka, born in 1989, is an American professional wrestler known by her ring name Carleigh. She has performed for various independent wrestling promotions in the United States.

Carleigh Herbert, born in 1994, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition for her role in the television series "The Next Step" and has released several singles and an EP.

It's important to note that while the name Carleigh has become more popular in recent years, its historical records and notable bearers are limited due to its modern origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Carleigh over time

The chart below shows babies named Carleigh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2013. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Carleigh, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2013, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Carleigh
02457199620042013

Decades

Carleigh by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Carleigh 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
2010s #4739 4 1
2000s #3801 17 4
1990s #2660 16 3

Geography

Where Carleigh is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Carleigh. 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.

Carleigh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #798 in 2016.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Carleigh in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#798 in 2016

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Carleigh

FAQ

Carleigh: questions and answers

How popular is the name Carleigh in the UK right now?

In 2013, Carleigh was ranked #4739 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Carleigh most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 7 babies registered as Carleigh in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Carleigh?

A feminine given name derived from Charles, meaning "free woman" or "petite".

How many people are called Carleigh in the UK?

A total of 37 babies have been registered as Carleigh across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Carleigh most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Carleigh ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #798 in 2016. 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.