Leighton is a distinctive choice, ranked #539 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Leighton in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#539
US Rank #395
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About the Name Leighton
Leighton is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 5029 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #150 in 2013 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Leighton is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Leighton in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #395, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Leighton
Allan Leighton — Allan Leighton is a British businessman, chair of Asda, former chairman of The Co-operative Group, former CEO of Asda, former chief executive of Pandora, and former non-executive chairman of the Royal Mail prior to the breaking of the Horizon scandal.
Jim Leighton — James Leighton is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Leighton House — Leighton House is an historic house in the Holland Park area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Leighton
Unlikely. With around 72 UK babies named Leighton per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Leighton in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Leighton is declining: down 144 places since 2020, to #539 in 2025. It peaked at #150 in 2013.
Leighton is more popular in the US (#395) than in the UK (#464). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Leighton include: Allan Leighton, Jim Leighton and Leighton House. Short summaries for each appear below.
Leighton appears in the US top 500 at #395 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
72
UK babies named Leighton (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 144 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Leighton
Almost certainly the only Leighton in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Leighton
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Allan Leighton is a British businessman, chair of Asda, former chairman of The Co-operative Group, former CEO of Asda, former chief executive of Pandora, and former non-executive chairman of the Royal Mail prior to the breaking of the Horizon scandal.
Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton,, known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor.
Clare Marie Veronica Leighton, sometimes Clara Ellaline Hope Leighton or Clare Veronica Hope Leighton, was an English–American artist, writer and illustrator, best known for her wood engravings.