UK girl's name
Keileigh
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Kelly or Keely.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keileigh is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Keileigh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5691, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 6 births.
This profile covers 29 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2014. 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 32 living people in the UK are called Keileigh. 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 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keileigh ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 6 girls were registered as Keileigh.
- • Keileigh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1986.
- • About 32 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keileigh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5691
2014
Births in 2014
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
6 births
Estimated living
32
2026
Meaning
What does Keileigh mean?
The name Keileigh is a modern English variation of the traditional Irish name Cailín, which means "young woman" or "girl" in Gaelic. This name has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures, dating back to the early medieval period.
The original Irish spelling of Cailín first appeared in historical records and literature around the 8th century AD. It was a common name among Irish families, particularly in regions like Connacht and Munster. Over time, the name evolved into various anglicized spellings, including Kaylin, Kaelyn, and eventually, Keileigh.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Keileigh itself in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's Celtic origins can be traced back to the pre-Christian era in Ireland. The earliest recorded examples of the name Cailín can be found in Irish annals and genealogical records from the 9th and 10th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne variations of this name. One of the earliest recorded examples is Cailín Ó Ruanaidh, an Irish poet and scholar who lived in the 12th century. Another notable figure was Cailín Óg Ní Chuinn, a 16th-century Irish noblewoman and patron of the arts.
In more recent times, several famous people have carried the name Keileigh or its variations. This includes Keileigh Hayler, an Australian actress known for her roles in television series like "Wonderland" and "Rake." Another notable bearer of the name is Keileigh Anne McPhail, a Canadian singer and songwriter born in 1992.
Other historical figures with variations of the name include Caitlín Ní Uallacháin (1566-1634), an Irish noblewoman and patron of the arts; Kaelyn Olsen (born 1995), an American actress and singer; and Kaylin Whitney (born 1998), an American track and field athlete who specialized in sprinting events.
While the name Keileigh is a relatively modern spelling, it carries a rich cultural heritage rooted in the ancient Celtic traditions of Ireland, reflecting the enduring legacy of Gaelic names in contemporary English-speaking societies.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keileigh over time
The chart below shows babies named Keileigh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keileigh, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2014, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keileigh by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keileigh 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 | #5691 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3881 | 18 | 4 |
| 1990s | #3150 | 8 | 2 |
Geography
Where Keileigh is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keileigh. 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.
Keileigh ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1986.
Across the UK
Keileigh in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#565 in 1986
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Keileigh
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Keileigh: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keileigh in the UK right now?
In 2014, Keileigh was ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Keileigh most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 6 babies registered as Keileigh in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keileigh?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Kelly or Keely.
How many people are called Keileigh in the UK?
A total of 29 babies have been registered as Keileigh across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Keileigh most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Keileigh ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #565 in 1986. 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.