Leslie: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “garden of holly”
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Say it
- LEZ-lee · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Both (71% girls, 29% boys since 1880)
From a Scottish surname derived from a place name, often explained from Gaelic leas celyn. Leslie has been used for both males and females in English-speaking countries.
How popular is Leslie?
Babies named Leslie in 2024536
2024 rank#603 girls
Peak year1969
Total US babies since 1880382,987
Leslie is fading: recent use is about 43% of its level ten years before.
Names like Leslie
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
- Leslygarden of holly · Scottish Gaelic
- Lesleygarden of holly · Scottish Gaelic
- Lesligarden of holly · Scottish Gaelic
- Finleyfair-haired hero · Scottish Gaelic
- Lennoxelm grove · Scottish Gaelic
- Blairplain; field · Scottish Gaelic
- Monroemouth of the Roe River · Scottish Gaelic
- Campbellcrooked mouth · Scottish Gaelic
Leslie questions
What does the name Leslie mean?
Leslie means "garden of holly". It comes from Scottish Gaelic. From a Scottish surname derived from a place name, often explained from Gaelic leas celyn. Leslie has been used for both males and females in English-speaking countries.
Is Leslie a boy or girl name?
Leslie is used for both: about 71% of US babies named Leslie since 1880 were girls.
How popular is Leslie?
536 US babies were named Leslie in 2024. Its peak year was 1969.
How do you pronounce Leslie?
Leslie is usually pronounced LEZ-lee.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.