Carleigh

One of the most overly respelled names in America, Carleigh is just one more variation of Carly. Carly developed as a short form of Caroline which is the female French equivalent to Charles (similar to Charlotte which has been shortened to Charlie). Charles is ultimately derived from the German Karl or Carl (from the Germanic “karl” meaning “free man”). The word originally signified a man who was free, but not of nobility – which is ironic given the number of “noble” people that have borne the name within European monarchies for centuries. The name owes much of its popularity in Europe from medieval times thanks to the 8th century (and early 9th century) Frankish leader and the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The name Charles was particularly popular among the Franks, who were a Germanic tribe. By the 15th century, upper-class people of England began to adopt the name, and the female version Caroline also came into common usage. Carly is a modern development, and, of course, spellings like Carleigh are super modern and super American.