Leighton means meadow settlement — from the Old English lēah (meadow) and tun (settlement). Leighton Meester IS Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl — TV's most iconic queen bee. The EIGH-spelling gives maximum traditional English weight. Two syllables of Gossip-Girl-queen-bee, meadow-settlement, and EIGH-traditional English heritage.
Old English lēah (meadow) + tun (settlement)→EIGH Leighton
1
English roots
Leighton means meadow settlement. Leighton Meester IS Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl — TV's most iconic queen bee.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Old English; Leighton Meester (born 1986).
3
Today
Leighton remains a beloved choice, ranking #415 in the US. 20,720 babies have been named Leighton since 1893.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Leighton?
2023peak year
Leighton has settled into a steady rhythm — neither rising sharply nor fading, holding a consistent place in U.S. birth records. It currently ranks around #415, with about 1,042 babies named Leighton each year. In 2023, 853 babies received the name (ranked #357). Total registrations across all years since 1880: roughly 20,720.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Leighton's Life Path 1 is the leader's number — queen-bee leadership. People named Leighton tend to be elegant, traditional, and gifted at EIGH-ending meadow-settlement queening.
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