Leighton

Leighton comes from the names of several places in England, such as Leighton Buzzard. The place-name is built from Old English leac, a leek, and tun, a farm or settlement, so it meant somewhere leeks or herbs were grown. It became a surname for people from those places, and later a first name.

It is used for both sexes. In the United States it is now more common for girls, and the actor Leighton Meester is one well-known example, while in Britain and Ireland it is mostly a boys’ name. Irish bearers include the jockey Leighton Aspell and the Wicklow GAA player Leighton Glynn.

In Ireland the CSO records it only for boys. Leighton first reached the list in 1974, with 3 boys, then disappeared for most of the 1980s and 1990s. It rose sharply around 2013, and its best year was 2014, when 40 boys were named Leighton and it was number 164. In Northern Ireland its highest place was 222nd, in 2015.