Leigh as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Leigh

What is the meaning of the name Leigh ?

The baby name Leigh is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced LEE (/liː/).

Leigh is English in Origin.

Leigh (pronounced LEE) stems from the Old English leah, meaning “woodland clearing” or “meadow.” It developed as a locative surname from numerous English place‑names ending in ‑leigh, and later migrated into use as a given name. The concise form and pastoral meaning give it a calm, spare character.

As a given name, Leigh appeared in Britain and the United States in the 19th century through the surname‑to‑forename trend. Early bearers were chiefly male in Britain (e.g., poet Leigh Hunt), while 20th‑century America favored it for girls and as a stylish middle or compound element (Leigh Ann). Today it reads as unisex. Variants and related spellings include Lee, Lea (English/French), Leigha, and hyphenated forms such as Leigh‑Anne; diminutive Lee is common. The surname form is iconic via actress Vivien Leigh, and given‑name bearers include writer Leigh Brackett and rugby player Leigh Halfpenny.