Leigh
A surname from the Old English word for a meadow or clearing, often indicating someone who lived near such a place.
The #3,499 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,231 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Leigh comes from Old English leah, a word meaning a clearing, meadow, or open woodland. As a surname, it usually began as a locational name for someone who lived by, or came from, a place called Leigh, Lee, Legh, or a similar form. Historical spelling varied widely before standardization, so Leigh and Legh are closely related forms.
History
The name is especially associated with Cheshire and other English counties that had places called Leigh. Lower specifically connects Leigh/Legh with an old Cheshire family of High Leigh, and later gentry families often claimed descent from that line. The same root produced many surname spellings in England, including Lee, Lea, Legh, and Legge.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Old English place-word behind Leigh also appears in many English place-names, which is why this surname has so many spellings.
From the historical record
“meaning of it. LEIGH, See under lee. LEIGH. LEGH. An eminent Cheshire family, who for centuries have been of High Leigh, in that co., and from whom nearly all the gentry families of the name claim LEL 192”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom