Whitleigh
A feminine variant of the English "Whitley", possibly derived from "white" and "leigh" or "lea".
Name Census estimates that about 217 living Americans carry the first name Whitleigh. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Whitleigh today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Whitleigh births was 2024 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Whitleigh. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
217
~ 1 in 1,579,513 Americans
Peak year
2024
23 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,580
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Whitleigh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Whitleigh from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 119 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Whitleigh remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Whitleigh by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Whitleigh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Whitleighs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Whitleigh
The name Whitleigh is a unique and relatively modern name, believed to have originated in the English-speaking world in the late 20th century. It is a combination of the English words "white" and "leigh," which means a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name is thought to have been created as a nod to the natural world, perhaps conjuring images of a serene, sun-drenched meadow.
While the name itself is relatively new, its components have deep roots in the English language. The word "white" traces its origins back to the Proto-Germanic word "khwītaz," which meant "bright" or "gleaming." The suffix "-leigh" comes from the Old English word "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Whitleigh directly. However, its components have been used in various contexts throughout history, particularly in place names and descriptions of natural landscapes.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Whitleigh are relatively recent, with most examples appearing in birth records and genealogical databases from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. While the name is relatively uncommon, there are a few notable individuals who bear the name Whitleigh.
One such individual is Whitleigh Brees, an American actress and model born in 1992. She has appeared in various television shows and films, including "The Big Sick" and "The Good Place."
Another person named Whitleigh is Whitleigh Stevenson, a Canadian artist and illustrator born in 1985. Her work has been featured in various publications and exhibitions, and she is known for her vibrant and whimsical illustrations.
In the realm of sports, there is Whitleigh Garner, an American softball player who played for the University of Oklahoma in the early 2010s.
Whitleigh Carmichael is a British author and poet born in 1978, best known for her collections of nature-inspired poetry and her work as an environmental advocate.
Lastly, Whitleigh Jacobson is a Norwegian musician and composer born in 1991, whose work blends classical and electronic elements.
While the name Whitleigh is relatively new and uncommon, it carries a sense of natural beauty and serenity through its linguistic roots and evocative imagery. Despite its modern origins, the name has already been embraced by individuals across various fields and backgrounds.
People
Whitleigh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Whitleigh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Whitleigh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Whitleigh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 217 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Whitleigh going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,579,513 US residents.
Is Whitleigh a common name?
We classify Whitleigh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 219 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Whitleigh most popular?
The single biggest year for Whitleigh was 2024, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Whitleigh is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Whitleigh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Whitleigh a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Whitleigh in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Whitleigh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Whitleigh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Whitleigh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Whitleigh?
Want to know how many people share the name Whitleigh? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.