What does Lesley mean?

Scottish: meadow; English: from the meadow

Is Lesley a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Lesley is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Lesley?

It’s currently ranked #914 in the U.S. Recent trend: Falling.

Lesley Unisex

Popularity: — · Trend: → Stable

Origin(s)

PronunciationLEZ-lee / /ˈlɛzli/

Scottish; English

Meaning

Scottish: from the meadow; English: meadow

Historical & Cultural Background

Lesley is derived from a Scottish surname that originated from a place name in Aberdeenshire. It became popular as a given name in the 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries. The name has been used for both boys and girls, though it is more commonly associated with females in recent decades.

Trend Summary

Lesley has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, particularly peaking in the mid-20th century.

Variants

Leslie
Lesly

International Variants

Lesly (Spanish)
Leslie (English)

Famous people named Lesley

Lesley Gore was an American singer-songwriter known for her hit song 'It's My Party'.

Lesley Manville is an English actress recognized for her roles in film and television.

Lesley Nicol is a British actress best known for her role in the television series 'Downton Abbey'.

Lesley Sharp is an English actress known for her work in theatre and television.

Fictional characters named Lesley

Lesley is a character in the video game series 'Fallout', known for her role in the storyline.

Lesley is a character in the animated series 'The Amazing World of Gumball', known for her quirky personality.

Sibling Suggestions

Liam Landon Lucas Logan Levi Luca

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Lesley was first seen in the United States in 1882. Lesley has ranked as high as #1018 nationally, which occurred in 1958, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee. In the past 5 years the name Lesley has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Lesley (2000)

Year:

State	Births	Share
TX	6	100%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1882	6
1883	5
1896	5
1897	5
1898	8
1900	10
1901	6
1903	17
1904	7
1905	10
1906	7
1908	11
1909	6
1910	12
1911	11
1912	19
1913	22
1914	22
1915	27
1916	29
1917	36
1918	41
1919	41
1920	50
1921	39
1922	58
1923	45
1924	40
1925	53
1926	36
1927	51
1928	46
1929	41
1930	40
1931	25
1932	31
1933	35
1934	42
1935	37
1936	31
1937	39
1938	40
1939	43
1940	57
1941	47
1942	60
1943	68
1944	70
1945	48
1946	57
1947	71
1948	71
1949	81
1950	64
1951	86
1952	79
1953	70
1954	75
1955	69
1956	80
1957	83
1958	102
1959	101
1960	76
1961	76
1962	84
1963	88
1964	78
1965	95
1966	100
1967	99
1968	86
1969	66
1970	75
1971	71
1972	65
1973	75
1974	59
1975	56
1976	57
1977	83
1978	46
1979	42
1980	53
1981	60
1982	40
1983	42
1984	41
1985	26
1986	40
1987	24
1988	23
1989	27
1990	26
1991	30
1992	19
1993	22
1994	20
1995	10
1996	15
1997	15
1998	15
1999	21
2000	17
2001	9
2002	11
2003	12
2004	9
2005	8
2006	12
2007	7
2008	5
2009	10
2010	7
2011	7
2015	6
2016	8