Arleigh
Primarily a girl's name of Old English origin with 691 recorded births. Also given to 517 boys.
Meaning & Origin
a male given name from English
Arleigh is a girl's and boy's baby name of Old English origin, a variant of Arley, from the Old English earn (eagle) and leah (meadow, woodland clearing), meaning 'eagle meadow' or 'the eagle's clearing.'
Arleigh is a name with a soaring natural quality — the eagle is one of the most powerful symbols in American culture, and a meadow where eagles hunt is a place of wild, open beauty. As a given name, it has a clean, unadorned sound that sits naturally in the tradition of nature-connected surname-names like Harley, Hadley, and Marley.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Arleigh's final sounds are sharp, distinct — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Arleigh breaks from that pattern, giving it a more distinctive edge.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Arleigh's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Arleigh climbed 5091 spots in the last 20 years — from #9980 to #4889.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 156 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 309 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 161 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 38 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 17 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 10 | — |
The Story of Arleigh
A Gen Alpha name
Peaking in 2017, Arleigh is a fresh, modern favorite. Girls named Arleigh are most likely born between 2007 and 2024.
How rare is Arleigh?
Only about 1 in every 133,333 babies born in 2024 was named Arleigh — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1924, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 2010s with 309 births that decade, and remains solidly popular today.
Arleigh by the numbers
- Would fill 14 school buses
- Meeting one Arleigh per day would take 1.9 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(34 years, 1924–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27 | #4889 |
| 2023 | 31 | #4467 |
| 2022 | 35 | #4118 |
| 2021 | 34 | #4171 |
| 2020 | 29 | #4558 |
| 2019 | 36 | #4020 |
| 2018 | 28 | #4784 |
| 2017 | 43 | #3555 |
| 2016 | 39 | #3857 |
| 2015 | 20 | #6268 |
| 2014 | 31 | #4556 |
| 2013 | 29 | #4764 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4500 |
| 2011 | 26 | #5226 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5440 |
| 2009 | 26 | #5397 |
| 2008 | 24 | #5777 |
| 2007 | 19 | #6852 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7521 |
| 2005 | 15 | #7546 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Arleigh as a Boy's Name
Arleigh is a true unisex name. As a boy's name, it has 517 recorded births since 1902.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arleigh a boy's or girl's name?
When was Arleigh most popular?
How popular is the name Arleigh?
Can Arleigh be used for both boys and girls?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1924–2024