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ArchivesKayleigh and Ceilidh
I'd like to dispute the definition of Kayleigh as being a common anglicization of ceilidh. I cannot find any instance where kayleigh is used as a anglicized spelling for ceilidh, the Scottish dance or social gathering, either before or after 1985. Where a phonetic pronunciation of ceilidh is provided, I've seen kaylee, kailey, cayley, and kay-lee, but usually ceilidh was used when referring to the gathering in English. Using thr name Kayleigh as an example pronunciation appears later in the 2000s. There was no common anglicization.
Both Kayleigh and Ceilidh appear for the first time in Scottish name statistics (back to 1974) at the same time, 1985. That's the same year Marillion released their song "Kayleigh". There are examples of both Kayleigh and Ceilidh being recorded used as names before 1985, but they number in the 10s across the available information for 3 countries (US, UK, Australia) and none in Scotland. In the Scottish stats pre-1985 there are two Caley, 1 Cailey, 1 Caleigh, 1 Kayley and 1 Kailie. Most instances of Ceilidhs born before 1985 were likely named one of the other spellings and then changed to the perceived correct spelling. There are two Ceilidh that were named in 1985 so from the beginning of the Kayleigh trend people were connecting the name to the word spelling. Although the writer of the song Kayleigh, Derek Dick aka Fish, is Scottish, he has said the name is a combination of Kay and Leigh, inspired by a woman whose first two names were Kay Lee.
I have only found one published name dictionary that defines Kayleigh as an anglicization of ceilidh and that's the Collins Dictionary of Scottish Names published in 2009. (But I see the entry is from 2007). Most others give it as a variant spelling of Kaylee (which showed up in name books just a couple years before Kayleigh) or as a combination of Kay and Leigh/Lee. The first time I found it connected to ceilidh was in a 1988 American romance novel My Wicked Enchantress, where the main character Kayleigh explains she was named after the Scottish social gathering ceilidh. Author Julia Cresswell seems to address that in The Tuttle Dictionary of First Names in 1992: "This girl’s name, which is currently enjoying enormous popularity, is probably best analysed as a blend of Kay and Leigh rather than a phonetic rendering of the Gaelic ceilidh (‘party’). As with so many recently fashionable names, the sound is probably more important than the sense, for the name completes a set with other recently fashionable names, KELLY and KYLIE."
May I suggest the entry for Kayleigh be updated to be a combination of Kay and Leigh, and use the song as the origin for the popularity of the name? This is the more widely supported origin.
Both Kayleigh and Ceilidh appear for the first time in Scottish name statistics (back to 1974) at the same time, 1985. That's the same year Marillion released their song "Kayleigh". There are examples of both Kayleigh and Ceilidh being recorded used as names before 1985, but they number in the 10s across the available information for 3 countries (US, UK, Australia) and none in Scotland. In the Scottish stats pre-1985 there are two Caley, 1 Cailey, 1 Caleigh, 1 Kayley and 1 Kailie. Most instances of Ceilidhs born before 1985 were likely named one of the other spellings and then changed to the perceived correct spelling. There are two Ceilidh that were named in 1985 so from the beginning of the Kayleigh trend people were connecting the name to the word spelling. Although the writer of the song Kayleigh, Derek Dick aka Fish, is Scottish, he has said the name is a combination of Kay and Leigh, inspired by a woman whose first two names were Kay Lee.
I have only found one published name dictionary that defines Kayleigh as an anglicization of ceilidh and that's the Collins Dictionary of Scottish Names published in 2009. (But I see the entry is from 2007). Most others give it as a variant spelling of Kaylee (which showed up in name books just a couple years before Kayleigh) or as a combination of Kay and Leigh/Lee. The first time I found it connected to ceilidh was in a 1988 American romance novel My Wicked Enchantress, where the main character Kayleigh explains she was named after the Scottish social gathering ceilidh. Author Julia Cresswell seems to address that in The Tuttle Dictionary of First Names in 1992: "This girl’s name, which is currently enjoying enormous popularity, is probably best analysed as a blend of Kay and Leigh rather than a phonetic rendering of the Gaelic ceilidh (‘party’). As with so many recently fashionable names, the sound is probably more important than the sense, for the name completes a set with other recently fashionable names, KELLY and KYLIE."
May I suggest the entry for Kayleigh be updated to be a combination of Kay and Leigh, and use the song as the origin for the popularity of the name? This is the more widely supported origin.
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Replies
Yes, a connection to ceilidh does seem a bit of a stretch. I'll update.
Kaylee had a significant uptick in 1984. I haven't come across anything in popular culture that might have spurred this, though it could simply be Kayla + Hayley/Bailey.
Kaylee had a significant uptick in 1984. I haven't come across anything in popular culture that might have spurred this, though it could simply be Kayla + Hayley/Bailey.
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I have also looked for what might have influenced Kaylee in 1984, my only clue is that someone once commented that they were born in 1984 and named after a movie character. https://www.mamanatural.com/baby-names/girls/kaylee/
I'm also curious why Kaylee became the more popular spelling in the US.
I also found a book Under Crimson Sails which had a character named Kaylee printed in 1979. It also was showing up in baby name books as early as 1983. Bruce Lansky started including Kaylee, variant of Kelila, in his baby name books around 1983, and the Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First names (1984) has Kaylee as a variant spelling of Kaile, itself a variant of Kelila.i think there might have been a soap opera character?
I'm also curious why Kaylee became the more popular spelling in the US.
I also found a book Under Crimson Sails which had a character named Kaylee printed in 1979. It also was showing up in baby name books as early as 1983. Bruce Lansky started including Kaylee, variant of Kelila, in his baby name books around 1983, and the Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First names (1984) has Kaylee as a variant spelling of Kaile, itself a variant of Kelila.i think there might have been a soap opera character?
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Kayla is one of the most soap opera influenced names in the USA, being clearly linked to the character Kayla Brady on "Days of Our Lives". If you look at the popularity curve for Kayla, you will see that it starts up in 1982, peaks in 1983, then actually recedes a bit in 1984 and 1985 before taking off in a big boom in 1986. And the character of Kayla Brady was introduced on "Days of Our Lives" in 1982, left the show in 1983, and returned to the show (played by a different actress) in 1986, following that popularity curve exactly.
However, so far I can't find a specific reason for Kaylee's upswing other than parents wanting to create a "different but not too different" version of Kayla.
However, so far I can't find a specific reason for Kaylee's upswing other than parents wanting to create a "different but not too different" version of Kayla.
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The search is complicated by the fact that there were at least 14 spellings of Kaylee pre-1985 and over 30 immediately after. There was a Kaylie in the 1983 release of a sci fi thriller called Brainwaves.
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