Home › Baby Names Directory › Burleigh
Burleigh
How to Pronounce Burleigh
Pronounced BUR-lee /ˈbɜːrli/Medium
Meaning: Burleigh is an English surname drawn from places named for a 'burh', a fort or fortified hill, beside a 'leah', a woodland clearing or meadow. Carried as a first name, it followed the American fashion of turning distinguished-sounding surnames into given names, so its meaning is a landscape one.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Burleigh comes from English places and the surname built on burh, a fortified hill, and leah, a clearing. As a boy's first name it joined the long American parade of surname-names, sharing shelf space with Wesley, Hartley and Everett.
It never caught widely: a few dozen boys a year at its faint high around the early nineteen-thirties, then a slow fade. Its soft 'lee' ending gives it a gentler sound than many of its blunt-edged contemporaries.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Burleigh…
Explore names like Burleigh
Frequently Asked
What does the name Burleigh mean?
It is an English place name and surname meaning 'clearing by the fortified hill'.
How do you pronounce Burleigh?
It's said BUR-lee /ˈbɜːrli/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Burleigh a boy or girl name?
Burleigh is used as a boy's name.
Is Burleigh a popular name?
No, it was always rare and had faded from American records by the mid-twentieth century.