Leighton is an English surname and place name meaning "leek settlement" or "herb garden town", from the Old English leac and tun; the spelling preserves the old form of the word. As a girls' name it was boosted by actress Leighton Meester, who starred in Gossip Girl from 2007, and it fits the fashion for Peyton and Payton. Leighton entered the US top 1000 for girls in 2009 and has climbed to number 342 in 2025, its best rank so far.