How to say it
LEIGH · ton
/ˈleɪ.tən/
Feminine
Leighton
Herb-garden town
What it means
An English place name, 'settlement by the leek garden or meadow,' from Old English leac-tun.
Leighton is an English place and surname name, a 'town with a leek or herb garden,' from leac, 'leek,' and tun, 'settlement.' It crossed into first-name use on the surname wave and tipped feminine thanks to actress Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl. The -eigh- spelling is the dressier, girl-leaning form; Layton is the plainer one. Leigh is the natural short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #342 in 2025, currently #342 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Leighton leans feminine; Layton reads more masculine. Same 'leek-garden town' origin.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Leighton Meester American actress (Gossip Girl)
Spelling variants
- Layton
- Leyton
- Leightyn
Names with the same feeling
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By style