Lee Unisex

Popularity: #597 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: lee /liː/

Origin: English; Chinese

Meaning: English: meadow; Chinese: plum

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Lee has its roots in Old English, derived from the word "leah," which means a clearing or meadow. This term evolved through various forms, including the Old English "Leah," before being adopted into Middle English.

The name was brought into the English language during the early medieval period, particularly after the Anglo-Saxon settlement of England in the 5th century. It has also been linked to the Old High German word "liuh," meaning "light," although this connection is less direct in the context of English usage.

Historically, the name Lee has been borne by notable figures, including several saints and biblical references. One of the earliest recorded uses of Lee as a surname can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was often used to denote someone who lived near a meadow or clearing.

The name gained further prominence through various historical figures, including General Robert E. Lee, a key figure in the American Civil War during the 19th century, which contributed to its recognition in American culture.

Culturally, the name Lee has been associated with notions of peace and tranquility, reflective of its meaning related to open spaces. In addition, it has been used in various literary and artistic contexts, symbolizing simplicity and nature.

The name has several diminutive forms, such as Lee-Ann or Lee-Jay, which have emerged in different cultural contexts, but the core name remains significant in its own right. Overall, Lee's enduring presence in English-speaking cultures can be attributed to its straightforward meaning and historical associations.

Famous people named Lee

In this section, you will find notable people named Lee. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Lee who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Lee who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Lee Iacocca is a businessman best known for the Ford Mustang, Chrysler Corporation turnaround, and his autobiography Iacocca.

Lee Pace is an actor best known for The Hobbit trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Pushing Daisies.

Lee Majors is an actor best known for The Six Million Dollar Man, The Fall Guy, and The Big Valley.

Lee Ann Womack is a country music singer best known for I Hope You Dance, Something Worth Leaving Behind, and Last Call.

Lee Daniels is a director and producer best known for Precious, The Butler, and Empire.

Lee Child is an author best known for the Jack Reacher series, One Shot, and Killing Floor.

Lee Marvin is an actor best known for The Dirty Dozen, Cat Ballou, and Point Blank.

Lee Ranaldo is a musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth, and for his solo work and collaborations.

Lee Corso is a sports broadcaster best known for his work on College GameDay and as a college football analyst.

Fictional characters named Lee

The following list of fictional characters named Lee is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Lee is a fictional character from the comic series The Walking Dead. He is a prominent character who plays a crucial role in the survival and moral dilemmas faced by the group during the zombie apocalypse.

Lee Everett is a fictional character from the video game series The Walking Dead. He is the main protagonist in the first season, guiding a young girl named Clementine through a post-apocalyptic world.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Lee, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

LiamLeoLucaLandonLyleLoren

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Lee. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JayBeauReedTreyFinnZaneKyeShay

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Lee was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Lee has ranked as high as #161 nationally, which occurred in 1956, and has been most popular in Texas, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Lee has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Lee is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Lee was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Lee.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 387 366 21
2024 395 370 25
2023 401 377 24
2022 405 379 26
2021 393 378 15
2020 341 313 28
2019 317 297 20
2018 378 352 26
2017 390 369 21
2016 423 390 33
2015 399 375 24
2014 373 350 23
2013 390 361 29
2012 379 357 22
2011 373 353 20
2010 384 353 31
2009 403 374 29
2008 378 361 17
2007 404 382 22
2006 420 391 29
2005 406 384 22
2004 455 412 43
2003 446 403 43
2002 481 439 42
2001 569 513 56
2000 569 502 67
1999 591 510 81
1998 694 607 87
1997 687 615 72
1996 815 721 94
1995 876 774 102
1994 1,042 917 125
1993 1,148 989 159
1992 1,284 1,128 156
1991 1,462 1,300 162
1990 1,647 1,450 197
1989 1,777 1,545 232
1988 2,054 1,785 269
1987 2,054 1,811 243
1986 2,218 1,932 286
1985 2,315 2,005 310
1984 2,524 2,164 360
1983 2,290 1,917 373
1982 2,690 2,205 485
1981 2,747 2,215 532
1980 2,861 2,209 652
1979 2,700 2,078 622
1978 2,470 1,980 490
1977 2,575 2,014 561
1976 2,405 1,873 532
1975 2,443 1,858 585
1974 2,723 2,115 608
1973 2,764 2,106 658
1972 2,951 2,260 691
1971 3,345 2,472 873
1970 3,760 2,790 970
1969 3,896 2,762 1,134
1968 4,028 2,868 1,160
1967 4,100 2,960 1,140
1966 4,176 2,965 1,211
1965 4,072 2,772 1,300
1964 4,309 3,037 1,272
1963 4,495 3,016 1,479
1962 4,643 3,263 1,380
1961 4,620 3,127 1,493
1960 4,961 3,430 1,531
1959 5,058 3,509 1,549
1958 5,210 3,514 1,696
1957 5,422 3,588 1,834
1956 5,448 3,511 1,937
1955 5,423 3,607 1,816
1954 4,923 3,566 1,357
1953 4,598 3,583 1,015
1952 4,603 3,655 948
1951 4,573 3,682 891
1950 4,429 3,611 818
1949 4,380 3,562 818
1948 4,287 3,445 842
1947 4,533 3,676 857
1946 4,153 3,346 807
1945 3,629 2,942 687
1944 3,529 2,929 600
1943 3,386 2,789 597
1942 3,506 2,923 583
1941 3,262 2,742 520
1940 3,116 2,624 492
1939 3,066 2,589 477
1938 3,025 2,575 450
1937 2,937 2,499 438
1936 2,857 2,418 439
1935 2,900 2,426 474
1934 2,800 2,378 422
1933 2,704 2,301 403
1932 2,741 2,284 457
1931 2,569 2,123 446
1930 2,826 2,361 465
1929 2,683 2,209 474
1928 2,795 2,282 513
1927 2,880 2,390 490
1926 2,855 2,313 542
1925 3,068 2,537 531
1924 2,908 2,420 488
1923 2,853 2,359 494
1922 2,867 2,371 496
1921 2,813 2,354 459
1920 2,864 2,321 543
1919 2,673 2,189 484
1918 2,666 2,159 507
1917 2,483 2,004 479
1916 2,491 2,016 475
1915 2,361 1,916 445
1914 1,856 1,451 405
1913 1,522 1,228 294
1912 1,342 1,030 312
1911 904 646 258
1910 965 741 224
1909 780 584 196
1908 750 553 197
1907 708 516 192
1906 586 436 150
1905 651 486 165
1904 671 532 139
1903 587 477 110
1902 609 475 134
1901 519 424 95
1900 813 675 138
1899 482 388 94
1898 609 498 111
1897 550 453 97
1896 528 455 73
1895 576 478 98
1894 538 455 83
1893 511 445 66
1892 528 460 68
1891 410 342 68
1890 468 410 58
1889 492 415 77
1888 491 430 61
1887 460 400 60
1886 436 399 37
1885 394 348 46
1884 483 435 48
1883 443 388 55
1882 470 427 43
1881 381 342 39
1880 389 361 28

Top States for Lee (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 29
8%
PA 24
7%
TX 21
6%
IL 20
6%
NY 20
6%
NC 18
5%
LA 15
4%
OH 15
4%
FL 15
4%
IA 15
4%
TN 13
4%
WA 12
3%
AZ 12
3%
MI 11
3%
IN 11
3%
KY 10
3%
MO 10
3%
VA 10
3%
GA 9
3%
WI 8
2%
MS 8
2%
OK 7
2%
NJ 6
2%
MD 6
2%
SC 6
2%
MN 6
2%
AR 5
1%
MA 5
1%
KS 5
1%