Leigh

Leigh is a name that functions both as a surname and as a given name, and it also appears as a toponym in England. Its origin lies in the Old English leah, meaning a clearing, meadow, or wood pasture. As a surname, Leigh typically denoted someone from a place called Leigh, and over time it became a family name in English-speaking regions. The given-name usage has grown in modern times for both men and women.

England is home to several places named Leigh, reflecting the toponymic roots of the name. Notable examples include Leigh in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, and Leigh-on-Sea, a coastal town in Essex. The element leah appears in many other English place names, contributing to the widespread distribution of the surname and given name in the British Isles and beyond.

Notable people with the surname Leigh include Vivien Leigh (1913–1967), an English actress best known for roles such as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. In given-name usage, contemporary figures include Leigh Bardugo, an American author known for the Grishaverse novels, and Leigh Whannell, an Australian screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. The name Leigh, in its various spellings and forms, continues to be used across cultures and has associations with both historical and contemporary figures in the arts and entertainment.