Declining since 2004, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Emileigh since 1981
Babies named Emileigh per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2005, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Emileigh's real moment was 2013.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 51 |
| 1990s | 306 |
| 2000s | 514 |
| 2010s | 410 |
| 2020s | 102 |
Meaning & origin
Emileigh is a modern respelling of Emily that emerged in the early 1980s, first recorded in 1981. It climbed to its peak popularity in 2013, then began a steady decline, falling in usage since 2004. Despite its low rank of 14,942 in 2025, with an occurrence rate of roughly 1 in every 321,453 births, Emileigh represents the creative spelling trend that flourished in the 1990s and 2000s. The name has not been strongly associated with any particular U.S. state, reflecting its scattered, non-regional appeal. Parents choosing Emileigh are often drawn to the familiar sound of Emily paired with a distinctive, elaborated visual form.
Emileigh is a respelling of Emily, created by replacing the final y with the more ornate -leigh suffix that became fashionable for girls' names in the late 20th century. Emily itself derives from the Latin name Aemilia, the feminine form of Aemilius, a Roman family name rooted in aemulus meaning 'rival' or 'striving.' The spelling Emileigh first appeared in U.S. records in 1981, part of a broader trend of -leigh names such as Kayleigh and Ryleigh.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Em, Emmy, Emi, Leigh
Sibling names for Emileigh
Names that share Emileigh's style, for a brother or sister.
