Declining since 2014, #3,389 for girls today.
Popularity of Karleigh since 1983
Babies named Karleigh per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 91 |
| 1990s | 673 |
| 2000s | 1,597 |
| 2010s | 2,127 |
| 2020s | 544 |
Meaning & origin
Karleigh is a modern respelling that first appeared in U.S. records in 1983. It reached its peak popularity in 2013, ranking highest among girls born that year. Since 2014, however, its usage has been declining. In 2025, approximately 1 in 35717 girls received the name, placing it at rank 3389. The name is most commonly found in Texas, where it saw the highest number of births. As a contemporary coinage, Karleigh fits a pattern of names ending in -leigh that gained traction in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, often as unique spellings of more established names like Carly.
Karleigh is a modern coinage that emerged in the late 20th century, primarily in the United States. It is a respelling of Carly, which itself is a feminine form of Carl, ultimately from the Germanic element 'karl' meaning 'free man'. The name may also be influenced by other -leigh endings popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
Where Karleigh is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kar, Leigh, Lee
Sibling names for Karleigh
Names that share Karleigh's style, for a brother or sister.
