Kayleigh
Say it: KAY-lee/ˈkeɪli/
Girl8 letters2 syllables
#207
in Ireland (2025)
#211 with spellings combined
21
babies in 2025
#45
best rank (1997)
2,304
babies since 1985
Down 68
10-year rank change
Kayleigh through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | #211 |
| 2024 | 26 | #171 |
| 2023 | 18 | #227 |
| 2022 | 26 | #183 |
| 2021 | 20 | #233 |
| 2020 | 32 | #155 |
| 2019 | 27 | #187 |
| 2018 | 26 | #194 |
| 2017 | 52 | #115 |
| 2016 | 32 | #170 |
| 2015 | 42 | #143 |
| 2014 | 51 | #117 |
| 2013 | 66 | #100 |
| 2012 | 78 | #85 |
| 2011 | 71 | #97 |
| 2010 | 77 | #89 |
| 2009 | 82 | #86 |
| 2008 | 110 | #65 |
| 2007 | 126 | #55 |
| 2006 | 115 | #58 |
| 2005 | 99 | #58 |
| 2004 | 81 | #71 |
| 2003 | 80 | #63 |
| 2002 | 75 | #68 |
| 2001 | 72 | #74 |
| 2000 | 65 | #73 |
| 1999 | 84 | #55 |
| 1998 | 87 | #48 |
| 1997 | 133 | #45 |
| 1996 | 99 | #56 |
| 1995 | 81 | #66 |
| 1994 | 54 | #108 |
| 1993 | 37 | #139 |
| 1992 | 33 | #156 |
| 1991 | 39 | #133 |
| 1990 | 23 | #194 |
| 1989 | 25 | #183 |
| 1988 | 14 | #262 |
| 1987 | 14 | #262 |
| 1986 | 8 | #334 |
| 1985 | 3 | #519 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Kayleigh mean?
Uncertain
English, a late 20th-century spelling of Kaylee, from Kay and Lee or the surnames Cayley and Keeley.
Say it right
KAYlee
The story of Kayleigh
Kayleigh is a spelling of Kaylee, a name coined in the late twentieth century. It is usually explained as a blend of Kay and Lee, or as a borrowing of surnames like Cayley or Keeley. Because it is a new creation there is no settled meaning behind it.
In Ireland Kayleigh first appears in the CSO records in 1985, with 3 girls. That was also the year the band Marillion had a hit with a song called “Kayleigh”, which made the spelling widely known in Ireland and Britain.
It grew quickly through the 1990s and peaked in 1997, when 133 girls got the name and it reached number 45. It stayed well known through the 2000s before falling back, and in 2025 it was number 207. In Northern Ireland its best year was 2006, at number 70. The CSO counts Kayleigh, Kayla, Kaylee and other spellings separately.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Kayleigh (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Kaylee (English proper noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Kayleigh | 21 | 2,304 |
In Northern Ireland
#397 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #70 (2006); 350 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.